Suresh Narayanan

Captain of comebacks: revitalizing an iconic brand

Suresh Narayanan is the Chairman and Managing Director of Nestlé India, a company which commands a market capitalization of over INR 1,70,000 crores. Narayanan is credited with seeing the company through some of its most turbulent periods and turning around its fortunes.

Mr. Narayanan’s appointment in 2015 coincided with the company’s worst crisis ever.  Maggi, its iconic brand, ran into trouble with the Indian food regulators and was removed from shelves across several states. Financial losses aside, Maggi was suddenly staring at an immense loss of trust from customers and a massive blow to its brand equity.

A strong believer of focusing on ‘People, Purpose and Partnership’, he quickly began revitalizing the company’s connect with various stakeholders, including customers and the government, while restoring confidence among his people. By the end of 2019, Nestlé India had recorded double-digit value growth over nine consecutive quarters.

Known as a grounded and pragmatic leader, Suresh Narayanan is also a strong proponent of innovation and an advocate of technology for business diversification and growth. Under his leadership, the company added many new initiatives and innovations to businesses such as prepared dishes, breakfast cereals, milk and nutrition, coffee and beverages, chocolates and confectionery. He has also encouraged the company to find ways to create positive experiences for customers.

An inspiration from his grandmother that Suresh Narayanan puts to practice daily is, ‘Take care of your people, and things will take care of themselves’.