Manish Tiwary says that the company believes its existing portfolio offers immense depth and significant headroom for growth
Nestle India is sharpening its focus on core brands while stepping up its rural expansion as it looks to sustain volume-led growth amid evolving consumption patterns. Chairman and Managing Director Manish Tiwary said the company will go “bigger, bolder and better” on its existing portfolio, deepen penetration in smaller towns and rural markets and reinvest savings from structural cost efficiencies into brand-building, advertising, digital capabilities and capacity expansion.
“Our primary focus is on core brands. We believe our existing portfolio offers immense depth and significant headroom for growth. We will do fewer things but do them bigger, bolder and better,” Tiwary said in the company’s FY26 annual report.
The Chairman added that a central pillar of the company’s strategy is penetration-led volume growth, strengthened by the number of consumers it can reach and the frequency with which they choose its brands. Through a fast, focused, flexible operating mindset, the company is expanding its distribution footprint and deepening its presence across geographies, he noted.
Noting the company’s evolution to tap the rural demand, he emphasised that a decade ago, Nestle India was predominantly urban-weighted. In 2019, it commenced our RUrban journey, deepening its presence in smaller towns that connect urban and rural India.
“From 2025, we extended our presence further into rural markets. Rural India remains one of our most significant growth opportunities, given both the pace of demand expansion and the headroom we still have to deepen our presence,” Tiwary explained.
Consumer Centricity And Reinvestment
The Chairman pointed out that consumer-first thinking must permeate the value chain, from manufacturing, supply chain to sales and marketing. He noted that as people spend more time outside the home, the need for convenient, high-quality food and beverage choices continues to grow.
“Consumer truth must always outweigh internal opinions. Too often, companies begin with financial planning and then try to shape the consumer proposition around it. I believe it should work the other way around,” he added.
In FY26, the company advanced its structural cost-efficiency agenda and delivered its highest-ever operational cost savings. Technology was leveraged to eliminate costs that did not add value to consumers and customers.
“These structural cost savings created headroom to channel them back into brand investment, higher advertising and digital spends, sharper communication, stronger activation, deeper penetration and distribution,” he highlighted.
The maker of Maggi and Nescafe reported total sales of Rs 23,071.5 crore in FY26, supported by double-digit, volume-led growth and market share gains, even as food inflation and affordability pressures continued to shape consumer spending.
