Former Tim Hortons India Head of Marketing Akshat Arora joins the specialty coffee chain as it ramps up outlet growth across the country’s major cities and seeks to reach 150 stores within the next two months
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Akshat Arora (third left) with Third Wave Coffee baristas | Photo credit: Third Wave Coffee
Indian specialty coffee chain Third Wave Coffee has appointed former Tim Hortons India executive Akshat Arora as Marketing Director.
In a LinkedIn post, Third Wave Coffee said Arora will be responsible for strengthening consumer engagement and supporting growth as it seeks to ‘redefine coffee culture in India’.
Arora joins Bengaluru-based Third Wave Coffee from Tim Hortons India where he has served as Head of Marketing since May 2024. He previously held senior marketing roles at Indian bottled water giant Bisleri International, business conglomerate Reliance Brands Limited and car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover.
His appointment comes as Third Wave Coffee seeks to accelerate outlet expansion in India’s larger cities͏. The coffee chain plans to open 25 new stores over the next two months to reach 150 outlets before adding 80-100 new sites annually from April 2025.
The targets were announced as Third Wave Coffee opened its first store in Chennai in January 2025. CEO Rajat Luthra said the specialty coffee chain already has several further coffee shops in development in the eastern Indian city, as well as in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad.
In September 2023, Third Wave Coffee completed a $35m investment round valuing the business at $150m. The coffee chain achieved 67% year-on-year revenue growth in the 12 months ended 31 March 2024 to reach Rs 241.3 Cr ($28.6m).