Nestle's Manish Tiwary Bets On Organic Penetration, Healthier Variants Over Inorganic Growth

There is no need to fix a machine that is not broken — this is the philosophy guiding Manish Tiwary, who officially took charge as the chairman and managing director of Nestlé India in August.

In a conversation with NDTV Profit, Tiwary talks about a growth blueprint rooted in organic penetration, digital acceleration, and consumer-first agility, and most importantly, steering away from the major inorganic moves pursued by some competitors.

Drawing on his leadership experience at Amazon, Tiwary emphasised that Nestlé India’s current success, provides a strong foundation. His mandate focuses on deploying technology to boost efficiency and sharpen the focus on healthier, high-quality options for the market.

Under the new leadership, Nestlé India is set to deepen its organic market penetration across its product lines. Tiwary confimed the company’s stability and baseline performance, stating, "When people ask what I would change at Nestlé, I would say nothing. It's not broken and it's working well. In the last decade, we have had double digit growth and our brands have expanded."

Addressing the question of mergers and acquisitions, he stressed a cautious, focused view stating, "I think we have enough headroom for growth given the penetration in each category. Having said that, whenever we find a brand that will fill in a consumer gap, and sync with our philosophy, we will take it. I would be thoughtful about these as well."

Central to the new strategy is implementing a culture of consumer-centricity, a direct lesson from his tenure at Amazon.

Tiwary said that he views the philosophy this way: "Every time I have a meeting, I follow the suit of my previous organisation. I imagine the consumer sitting in the empty chair and that she is watching what we are doing."

He also identified two priorities for investment. "The only two areas that I am looking to dial up is technology to make us fast and flexible and also to use that same technology to make us more cost optimised."

With consumers reaching for more health-consious options, Tiwary intends to place transparency and quality at the forefront of the product portfolio.

He addressed concerns around packaged foods by emphasising, "Compared to other options, Maggi has the lowest sodium."

He noted a major change in the market, saying, "The back of the pack used to be a blind spot for a generation but today's generation starts there. The quality is how we plan to influence them."

Looking ahead, Tiwary is optimistic about market drivers, predicting that factors like tax relief, the GST cut, and a general improvement in consumer sentiment could make 2026 "a year of volumes for us," supported by traditional trade, strong quick commerce ties, and a push to ensure the rural segment also pick up that pace of urban growth.