D2C meat and seafood brand Licious, has named Karishma Gupta as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The appointment coincides with Licious’ focus on achieving profitable growth through an omnichannel strategy. The Bengaluru-based company plans to open over 500 Licious stores across twenty cities in the next five years, aiming for operating profit by the end of the current financial year. At Licious, Karishma will be instrumental in driving sustainable growth and profitability, establishing governance frameworks, and implementing key standard operating procedures (SOPs) as the company moves towards a pre-IPO phase.
Karishma, aged 39 and a chartered accountant, brings over eighteen years of diverse finance experience to Licious. Her expertise includes business partnering, supply chain finance, governance, financial planning and analysis (FP&A), audit, and controllership. With leadership roles in multinational and Indian companies, she has a proven track record in business performance turnaround, financial management, and mergers and acquisitions. Before joining Licious, Karishma led expansion and turnaround strategies across multiple brands and geographies for Jubilant Foodworks.
Vivek Gupta and Abhay Hanjura, co-founders of Licious, commented, “Licious is currently in a strong financial position, with a nearly 20% ARR increase of $100 million last year. We have transitioned from a loss margin to a gross margin of nearly 30% and reduced burn by almost 80%. Maintaining financial health, ensuring sustainable growth, fostering innovation, and building robust financial frameworks are our top priorities as we embark on the next phase of our journey. We believe Karishma’s extensive experience with top listed players in related industries, particularly her retail expertise that aligns with our omnichannel strategy, will be a significant asset for us.”
Karishma expressed her excitement about her new role, stating, “Licious is currently at an intriguing inflection point, marked by significant expansion plans at a rapid pace. While Licious already boasts best-in-class finance structures and governance, we are embarking on a transformative journey toward the next phase of innovation-led business growth over the next two years. I am thrilled to lead this journey from a finance perspective.”
Karishma’s previous roles include positions at Diageo, GSK Consumer Healthcare, and ITC. She stands among the youngest women CFOs in India, a notable feat in a landscape where only fifty out of 2,328 NSE-listed companies have women in this role.
