After nearly a decade, Nestlé India has seen a change at the top, with Manish Tiwary taking over as chairman and managing director in August this year. Tiwary, who spent nine years at Amazon before joining the global food and beverage major, believes technology will define the next phase of Nestlé India’s growth. In an interaction with TNIE, the new Nestlé chief outlines his priorities, from AI adoption and supply-chain digitisation to premiumisation and health-focused products.
You spent nearly 20 years at HUL, then moved to Amazon for nine years — shifting from FMCG to a tech-first organisation. What lessons from that experience are you bringing to Nestlé?
When companies say they want to be digital, it often remains just a phrase. But companies born in the digital era — like Amazon — have a fundamental advantage. I am trying to bring the best of what I learned there into Nestlé, to benefit the organisation overall.
One big learning was truly appreciating how technology can solve problems at scale. Everyone talks about AI and machine learning, but Amazon used technology to drive efficiency in an entirely different league. I want to bring that approach to Nestlé -- technology that expands efficiency, optimises cost and frees up resources to invest behind brands.
There were also leadership principles that stayed with me. Bias for action — speed matters more than ever. When I launched Amazon India, three-day delivery was fast. Then came same-day, and now even 12-minute delivery exists. Customer obsession — ultimately, everything we do should help her feed her family or her pets. Nestlé already has a strong foundation in technology and consumer centricity. I am simply sharpening that further.
Nestlé is a food company. How can technology be embedded meaningfully here?
Let me give a real example. We have nine factories and 30,000+ distribution points nationwide. For a product like Nescafé RTD, with multiple variants and SKUs, demand changes quickly — even due to weather. Earlier, there could be up to 35 days of stock between factory and consumer. Now, every sale at a distributor gets recorded instantly. The forecast updates in real time, and the signal goes back to the factory. This leads to fresher stock, lower working capital, fewer misses and crores saved.
Technology also accelerates innovation. A new product that earlier took 10 months to test can now be launched in 20 days through digital tools.
It is not technology for the sake of it — it’s productivity is everywhere -- supply chain, sales, manufacturing, even how I draft emails using AI copilots. The biggest challenge is not tech adoption — it is the change in mindset.
How important are e-commerce and quick commerce for Nestlé?
Our responsibility is to be wherever the consumer shops — kiranas, rural markets, e-commerce or q-commerce. Quick commerce has unlocked convenience and improved product discovery. For example, a Nescafé machine or Purina pet food is easier to sell online because consumers rely on reviews and information.
E-commerce also enables premiumisation. Physical shelves are limited; online space is not. Whether the channel grows fast or slow can change with time — but as long as our market share in that channel keeps rising, we are doing the right thing.
What would be your AI adoption strategy?
I have no hesitation in adopting AI. It would hurt us if we didn’t. We will adopt AI in every aspect of what we do. We do not have a choice. Technology improves our productivity so that we can serve our consumers better. There are broader ethical questions (job losses, etc) but you cannot stop evolution.
Nestlé is associated with Maggi, chocolates, coffee and now pet care. What next?
Even within current categories, the headroom for growth is massive. Coffee consumption in India is rising rapidly — not just in cafés but in everyday households. Maggi’s monthly penetration is only about 18–19%. Even a small increase can transform the business. Confectionery penetration is only 17% monthly.
Plus, we have newer engines -- Purina, Nespresso and Nestlé Professional, and Nestlé Health Science with Dr Reddy’s. The mix of large scalable businesses and high-potential new categories gives us tremendous opportunity. Focus is key -- doing a few big things really well.
Health-conscious consumption is rising. What is Nestlé doing on that front?
Trends like ‘organic’ are real, but the fundamental shift is consumers — especially younger ones — reading labels. They check sodium and sugar levels. No influencer can override what is written on the pack.
We have reduced sodium and sugar significantly across categories — not because regulations asked us to, but because it's better for consumers. Take Maggi noodles or Maggi ketchup — compare sodium levels with other leading brands and you’ll see the difference. Achieving great taste with lower salt is challenging — that’s where our R&D strength shows.
There is a perception that multinational companies maintain different quality standards in developing markets vs Europe or the West. How do you respond?
Every product must comply with local food regulations — because climates, infrastructure and consumer needs vary. For example, India is tropical and many shops aren’t air-conditioned. Products must be designed to be safe and stable here. Comparing packs from two markets without understanding context is misleading. What matters is safety, compliance and consistent investment in hygiene and manufacturing. We make 98% of our products in India ourselves — the standards are world-class.
Five years from now, how do you see Nestlé India under your leadership?
Nestlé India has been here for 113 years. The values — product quality, respect for people and partners — will never change. My focus is to infuse technology more deeply while ensuring our brands are even more loved. We want India to contribute even more to Nestlé globally.
Near-term priorities — volumes or margins?
It’s not either-or. Growth without profitability is not sustainable — and profitability without growth is a warning sign. India offers huge penetration headroom. Technology allows us to optimise costs and redirect savings into brand investments — which then drives volume growth. So, the goal is volumes with profitability.