Exclusive: Manish Tiwary on Nestle India's future — Digitisation, rural push and the 3 engines of growth

Nestlé India’s new Chairman and Managing Director, Manish Tiwary, stepped into his first interaction after taking charge with a rare mix of calm clarity and long-term ambition. Much like his approach to running

marathons, he says the first five kilometres are always crowded. You do not chase the noise around you. You focus on your pace. That is exactly how he views Nestlé’s next phase: stay steady, stay focused, stay long-term.

Tiwary talks about Nestlé as someone who has grown up with the brand. He laughs while admitting that he grew up on Cerelac and later fed the same to his own children. For him, the responsibility of leading a 110-year-old company is both personal and deeply purposeful. Nestlé has a legacy, but it also has an obligation to shape the future. His mantra for this next chapter is simple: fast, focused and flexible.

A big part of that transformation will come from digitisation. Tiwary wants every part of the organisation to be digitally enabled, from supply chain to sales to the way Nestlé engages with consumers. He believes this is essential for speed and sharper execution. The immediate priority, however, is penetration. Nestlé wants to enter more households, increase relevance in daily consumption and push deeper into rural India. Rural currently contributes only about 17 to 18% of Nestlé India’s sales. To him, that is one of the biggest opportunities ahead, alongside the premiumisation wave that is strengthening in urban markets. He expects FY26 to be a strong growth year for the company, led by volumes.

As debates around processed foods intensify, Tiwary explains that Nestlé works with different formulations for different regions, keeping climate and nutritional needs in mind. Substitute ingredients, he says firmly, are not inferior in quality. They are made to suit local environments and consumer requirements.

On competition, especially from emerging D2C brands, he remains unfazed. He believes there is still plenty of headroom in Nestlé’s existing categories. The company will do fewer things but do them bigger and bolder.

One of the areas he is personally optimistic about is B2B. He sees it as a quiet but powerful growth engine for Nestlé India. Most chefs in restaurant kitchens already use Nestlé products. Magnolia Bakery uses Milkmaid in their desserts. Many Thai restaurants rely on Nestlé’s coconut milk powder for their curries. Offices across corporate India use Nestlé coffee machines. For him, this is just the beginning. He believes B2B, along with Nespresso and Petcare, can grow two to three times faster than the core portfolio.

He is equally confident about accelerating the next twenty thousand crore of revenue much quicker than the previous one. This will be supported by increased advertising spends, which he says will grow faster than sales, and by introducing more products from Nestlé’s global portfolio. The company is not looking to add new brands yet, because he believes the current portfolio still has immense depth and potential. On profitability, he hopes to maintain margins in the range of 22 to 24%.

Toward the end of the conversation, Tiwary sums up what will define his leadership at Nestlé India. He says it comes down to three things: a constant consumer obsession, deep integration of technology and an organisation that moves with agility. It is a combination of heart, data and speed. Much like a marathon, he admits. Focus on your stride, stay patient and run long.