Rebel Foods names co-founder Ankush Grover as CEO; Jaydeep Barman transitions to Chairman role

Ankush Griver, CEO, Rebel Foods

Rebel Foods has appointed co-founder Ankush Grover as its new Chief Executive Officer, as part of a leadership transition that sees outgoing CEO and co-founder Jaydeep Barman move into the role of Chairman and Group CEO.

The announcement was made by Barman in a candid LinkedIn post, where he reflected on the evolution of his leadership style and the importance of choosing the right people to drive the company’s next chapter.

“After deep introspection, it came down to two names — me, or Ankush,” Barman wrote. “And I’ve decided it should be Ankush, because he’s an order of magnitude better than I am at things that matter most for Rebel’s next decade.”

Grover, who has been with Rebel for 13 years, currently leads the company’s operations in India and the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. He will now take charge of the overall business at a time when the company is scaling its global footprint.

Founded in 2011, Mumbai-based Rebel Foods operates a network of over 450 cloud kitchens across more than 70 cities, and owns brands like Faasos, Behrouz Biryani, Oven Story, and The Good Bowl. It is among the world’s largest internet restaurant companies, with presence across India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the UK.

Barman said the leadership change marks a broader shift in the company’s approach—from building operations to scaling through strong leadership. “Over time, my most important job became finding the right WHO and giving them freedom with accountability,” he wrote.

He credited Grover with having an “uncanny ability to spot great food,” a deep understanding of capital efficiency and customer value, and a talent for rallying teams around key priorities. “He’s an execution machine,” Barman added.

As Chairman, Barman said his role would be to support Grover without interference. “Not to bother him with a new idea every morning,” he quipped, “and to be his trusted sounding board, with the occasional hard question.”

The move comes at a time when Rebel is aggressively expanding its international presence through brand licensing and strategic partnerships. With Grover at the helm, the company is expected to double down on operational excellence and global brand-building.