Nestlé India will double down on technology adoption and consumer-centric strategies as it pursues volume-led growth across categories, Chairman and Managing Director Manish Tiwary said in an interview with PTI. Tiwary, who recently took charge, said the company expects “healthy volume growth” in regions where it is setting up new factories and outlined three priorities: a consumer-first approach, volume-driven expansion and stronger investments in flagship brands including Maggi, KitKat and Nescafé.
“It’s not just about value growth but about how many more meals consumers enjoy with Maggi, how many more cups of coffee they drink, how many more KitKats they taste,” Tiwary said, highlighting the company’s ambition in one of its fastest-growing global markets. He noted that Maggi noodles have just 20% monthly penetration and coffee consumption is rising rapidly, presenting significant headroom for expansion.
On future growth opportunities, Tiwary said Nestlé India remains open to acquisitions “if something promising emerges,” but emphasised that core categories will continue to drive the bulk of the company’s progress. “Fewer, bigger, bolder is very important… I would rather focus on fewer initiatives and execute them well,” he added.
Nestlé India reported sales of ₹20,077 crore in FY25 and has invested nearly ₹3,900 crore in capex over the last two years.
Tiwary, a computer engineer and former Amazon India executive, said he is bringing key e-commerce learnings to Nestlé, with a strong push to accelerate technology adoption. “Technology will enhance both efficiency and effectiveness. It will fundamentally reshape operations across the company,” he said, clarifying that automation is not aimed at reducing jobs. Instead, existing teams will be empowered to deliver greater impact through tech tools.
Tiwary said India could soon become one of Nestlé SA’s top five global markets, noting that India is already the world’s largest market for Maggi and the second-largest for KitKat. “Two out of three Indian households use our products. I want that number to grow,” he said, pointing to opportunities in both human and pet nutrition.
Rural markets are expected to grow at least 1.5 times faster than the company’s overall growth, buoyed by low penetration and rising consumption. At the same time, premiumisation will accelerate, with 20–30 million Indian households consuming at European levels.
Tiwary said easing inflation—especially stable prices for coffee and cocoa—would support stronger volume growth in the first half of 2026. E-commerce and quick commerce contributed 12.5% of domestic sales last quarter, with Nestlé outperforming industry benchmarks.
He added that adjacent businesses such as Purina pet food, the Nestlé Health Science–Dr Reddy’s joint venture and premium offerings like Nespresso are showing robust momentum. “These ventures make me very optimistic about Nestlé’s future in India,” Tiwary said.