Bengaluru: Cuppa, one of India’s most recognised café brands with strong legacy recall, has announced the appointment of Sharath Ravikumar as Chief Executive Officer, marking a strategic leadership transition as the company enters its next phase of growth, expansion, and franchise-led scale.
The appointment of Sharath Ravikumar comes at a pivotal moment for the brand as it re-aligns leadership, capital, and execution capabilities to accelerate expansion.
The company plans to begin its growth journey in South India before extending into global markets. Backed by Bharat Sanjaya Ventures, its investor and strategic partner, Cuppa is sharpening its focus on building a scalable and operationally consistent café business.
Over the past few years, under the leadership of Visakh Viswambharan and partners, Cuppa has evolved in line with changing consumer preferences, focusing on accessibility, everyday relevance, and consistency in experience.
As the brand transitions into its next phase, Sharath Ravikumar will lead the emphasis on scaling the business through a structured franchise-led model, while strengthening operational systems and enhancing customer experience.
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With over 15 years of leadership experience across hospitality, event management, and food and beverage, Sharath Ravikumar brings a strong track record in brand-led execution and operational scale.
His appointment is expected to enhance leadership bandwidth, enabling Cuppa to drive its expansion agenda and transition into a more scalable operating model.
Leadership of Sharath Ravikumar: Cuppa Expanding Footprint in Southern India
The strategy includes building robust systems, processes, and outlet-level consistency required for franchise-led growth, while ensuring that the brand maintains its operational discipline and customer connect.
“Cuppa has built a strong foundation over the years, and the opportunity ahead lies in taking that foundation forward with a more structured, scalable expansion model,” said Sharath Ravikumar, Chief Executive Officer, Cuppa.
“My focus will be on driving growth with discipline, strengthening consistency across the brand, and building the operating cadence required for Cuppa to expand across South India and beyond. The aim is to scale the brand thoughtfully while preserving what has made Cuppa relevant and distinctive.”
Commenting on the transition, Visakh Viswambharan, Director, Cuppa, said, “Cuppa has always had strong brand recall, and the next phase is about translating that into a more scalable and execution-led growth platform. With Sharath Ravikumar stepping in to lead the business, and with Bharat Sanjaya Ventures as both an investor and strategic partner, we are focused on building the right structure for expansion across locations.
As I continue to focus on my broader ventures across AI, technology, and sports, I will remain involved at a strategic level while Sharath leads the business forward.”
With leadership, capital support, and a clearly defined expansion agenda now aligned, Sharath Ravikumar will play a central role in positioning Cuppa for its next stage of growth.
The brand’s franchise-led approach, combined with its consumer-facing identity and operational model, is expected to support its journey toward broader market expansion and long-term scale.
