Suresh Narayanan

The Journey of Leadership Book Summary Here's a book from 4 senior partners at McKinsey basis their interactions and interventions at the Bower Forum program for CEOs. Enjoy Shiv www.shivshivakumar.com

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After reading everything about the Kolkata case, it’s hard not to feel disappointed, even defeated. But we can’t give up now—we didn’t come this far just to stop here. Change can only happen through incentives or consequences, and right now, we need the strongest consequences to make people fear threatening the safety of women. But who can drive this change? The leader who feels it most deeply. No matter what is said, the fear, pain, and anxiety that a woman experiences are difficult for a man to fully understand. This is why we need more women in powerful positions. And let's be clear—power often comes from 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐘! Of course, raising our boys differently is essential, but that’s been said many times before. What we really need is to raise our women to embrace the spirit of Durga, with the same, if not greater, desire for money and power as men. Today, I realized how foolish I was to focus solely on purpose or impact without considering the role of money. Money is the foundation of everything—change, impact, power! The person who controls the money holds the ultimate power. You can debate it, but it’s a fact. Until we achieve true financial equality and women command leadership positions, some men will continue to act without fear. They 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 to be afraid. We need to become unapologetically the Durga.

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Innovation is a driver of growth, but it must remain consistent with the brand values to maintain its credibility. For a brand like Gopal Snacks, innovation is not just about introducing new products but also about improving the customer value proposition that is consistent with the fundamental values of an organisation. This adaptability means the brand can be developed with new influences and yet retain the core values that underpin customer trust. The strong link between innovation and brand values needs to be supported by a progressive approach to development and promotion. In this way, we can implement change at each stage of the product development cycle while staying true to the brand’s core values and vision. This strategic alignment helps brands stand out in a crowded marketplace, reinforcing their reputation as a brand that innovates with purpose and integrity. #GopalSnacks #GopalNamkeen #Innovation #Values

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One of the oft repeated issues on corporate governance is the independence of independent directors especially in India where concentrated ownership is the norm. Very, very rarely would an independent director have the gumption to openly say that he/she is not comfortable with the quality of governance at the company whose board they're on. It is heartening to finally see (though still minuscule) ID's showing some spine. https://lnkd.in/gv2nJyCH The irony is that this does not seem to deter investors in these companies. The focus appears to be solely on financial performance irrespective of the how these were achieved. Clearly the end justifies the means. Only when independent directors show courage and investors start giving importance to this and speak with their wallets will this change. #india #corporategovernance #boardofdirectors #independentdirectors Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs Indian Institute of Management Bangalore Confederation of Indian Industry Nisaba Godrej

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#FMCG leaders - STOP TAKING INDIAN CONSUMER FOR A RIDE For years, major FMCG BRANDS HAVE CONTROLLED Indian households through convenience and clever marketing—pumping consumers with SUB-STANDARD, LOW-QUALITY, UNHEALTHY PRODUCTS under the guise of “healthy” benefits that were outright misleading. Kirana shops were silent partners. The untold rules: “STOCK LEADS TO SALES” and “HAMMER FALSE CLAIMS UNTIL CONSUMER BELIEVES them” Here’s the reality check: QUICK COMMERCE and SOCIAL MEDIA have disrupted, democratized, and transformed the FMCG landscape. Consumers are now INFORMED, EMPOWERED, and DONE with being taken for granted and misled. FMCG brands, kirana shop owners, and the government—it’s time to wake up or GET LEFT BEHIND. ## FMCG Brands: STOP BLAMING - EARN BACK CONSUMER TRUST • TRANSPARENCY IS NON-NEGOTIABLE: Consumers are FED UP with hidden ingredients and false health claims. Start being HONEST about what’s inside. Drop the sugar, additives, and processed junk—OR GET READY TO BE REPLACED by cleaner, more transparent brands. • STOP BANKING ON BLIND LOYALTY: Loyalty is DEAD. Today’s consumers want HEALTH, QUALITY, and ETHICS—not empty promises. If you can’t innovate with products that truly resonate, prepare to watch your market share slip away to brands that can. • GO DIGITAL—FAST: Quick commerce isn’t a threat; it’s a TOOL. Embrace it, or get outplayed by brands that leverage digital channels and data to stay relevant. Your consumers have moved online—WHY HAVEN’T YOU? #KiranaShop Owners: WORK FOR THE CONSUMER NOT THE BRAND • BE THE LOCAL TRUST HUB: People trust you. Stock brands that are HONEST and HEALTH-FOCUSED. Become the go-to for QUALITY, not just convenience. • PARTNER WITH HONEST BRANDS: Consumers want alternatives to cheating brands. Build relationships with ethical brands that match new consumer values. Become known for QUALITY, not just the same old products. • DIGITIZE TO COMPETE: Small steps matter. List your shop online, offer home delivery, and STAY CONNECTED with your customers. Quick commerce can’t replace your local credibility—USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE. Government: PROTECT CONSUMER INTEREST • MANDATE HONEST LABELS: Enforce strict standards on health claims. STOP BRANDS FROM MISLEADING CONSUMERS. If you don’t protect them, you’ll FURTHER lose credibility. • EMPOWER KIRANA SHOPS: Support local stores with incentives for digital tools and training. KEEP THEM COMPETITIVE in an online world where big players dominate. • FOSTER LOCAL, ETHICAL BRANDS: Give small, honest brands a leg up. INCENTIVIZE SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES and help these businesses reach more consumers. ##BottomLine FMCG ecosystem is transforming because CONSUMERS ARE TRANSFORMING. Quick commerce has given consumers CHOICE, SPEED, and INFORMATION. The era of taking consumers for granted is OVER. Embrace transparency, empower kirana stores, and support honest brands. THAT’S THE FUTURE OF FMCG #RatneshJain Revant Himatsingka (Food Pharmer)

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Bottlers are the moat of Coke/Pepsi. And it looks like Reliance may be able to overcome that disadvantage. “If need be, we will make a range which will fight that (B-segment) pricing also," said Ravi Jaipuria, chairman of the Varun Beverages, PepsiCo's largest bottling partner in India, though he said PepsiCo "is not affected" by the pricing strategy of Campa. "Going forward, they will take share of the total market. Who will get affected first - I'm not sure ... I don't know. But we are improving our go-to market," Jaipuria said. This is a quote from an interview by Ravi Jaipuria, the largest Pepsi bottler. What he is really saying is that Pepsi volumes are under pressure but the company is not ready to compromise on margins. Hence Pepsi is planning to launch new mass brands where they will play the discounting game to tackle Campa. Campa cola will face bottling challenges initially due to demand surge. They have the capital to make it happen. But it takes time to set up these bottling plants all over India with a large scale capacity. Coke/Pepsi bottlers operate on a thin margin. It is a turnover business. If volumes are affected in a major way for Coke/Pepsi, Bottlers will revolt. And then they can migrate to Reliance for higher margins & volumes. That is when the business of Coke/Pepsi will suffer acutely. If they retain bottlers, they may have to part with higher margins. In which case their own profit margins will start suffering. In the last couple of years both Coke/Pepsi have migrated from Company owned bottling to Franchisee owned bottling operations and freed up cash by selling assets. Infact Coke is in the last leg of monetising HCCB (bottling operation owned by Coke) This will come back to bite them if the above scenario pans out with bottler migration to Reliance. We live in interesting times. Link to the interview in comments. Read my views on how retailers are behaving in this price war: https://lnkd.in/ga3xhGjg My views on how consumer adoption for Campa can work: https://lnkd.in/gSifuUMV

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Always an insightful experience attending the Annual CII convention of FMCG committee. My Key Takeaways from 1st session. Hope I have got these specifics right. But overall message is that For FMCG to grow faster, it must shed its set ways of working and Metamorphose and change faster than the rate at which world is changing. 1. FMCG growth in recent 5-6yrs have been divorced from thier past record of growing 1.5times GDP growth. it's now even down to 0.75 times GDP growth. 2. Amongst companies, the top quartile companies are the only ones growing gross profits and EBITDA faster than the top line revenue. All other companies are struggling with low growth and lower profits. Very small companies, growing top line at cost of profits. 3. Innovation and penetration are the only drivers for growth. Very few brands are able to do both at scale. 4. Beauty category a) is 80% in Urban India. b) consumption of GenZ <USD30> is double that of GenX <USD32>, c) The GenZ is global citizen, and they recieve global signals simultaneously to rest of the world. 5. Segmentation has always been important in India. With "Many Indias" becoming "many more Indias", it's important to go deeper than Segmentation...to "Community" level 6. Indianness is clearly a trend. Mysorepak is highest sold Mithai in Ecomm. Masala tea is more embraced now than the Dip Dip Tea. 7. Digital - LOreal while digital tryons for lipstick are big and it's a huge digital data on consumer behaviour, it is still a touch and feel category. We should hence have a balance. 8. Pidilite gets close to 40% of its consumer and bazaar sales on Genie - a mobile app for retailers. and has Loyalty programme for Over a million craftsmen across Carpentry, Waterproofing, Plumbing, Tile laying etc. 9. Bourbon a brand from 1955 was made relevant to GenZ consumers where through Google Gemini, consumers re-created thier favourite recipes and there were 2.4 lac entries. 10. It's time for established companies to build new Brands, not just Brand Extensions. That's the way to be an insurgent. In Beauty, 10% of growth will come from new category, 20% from +1 categories-adding one more step to regime of consumer, 30% from educating and increasing consumption, 40% from Penetration and new consumers. Hope I got those proportions right.

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It was a pleasure to share my thoughts at the ADGULLY #CMOCharchaBengaluru last week. Whether we use traditional or digital and AI tools, one aspect that is fundamental in building great brands is finding relevance in consumers' lives. Thanks to the team at Adgully for capturing the key points from my talk in this post. #consumer #empathy #Marketing

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Thoroughly enjoyed speaking with Anurag Goyal on his show Sip to Success. He's running a great business in packaging and interviews founders from fmcg, retail and d2c industries. In this podcast, we talk about: 1. My decade long journey in #entrepreneurship, how after 2 failed tech startups, I went #offline and I founded New Shop with Charak Almast and Mani Dev Gyawali as we saw a $40 Billion opportunity in standardising modern convenience retail in India. 2. India is an Entrepreneurship obsessed country and 83% Indians choose to become entrepreneurs as against the global average of 53%. but, 90% of them fail. We know How being a failed #entrepreneur feels like, and that's why we are on a mission to empowering and democratising business ownership in India, by having built a breakthrough #franchising model that's already empowered 100s of #franchiseowners of New Shop. 3. How New Shop's #franchise model works and how we plan to empower 10,000 successful business owners by 2030. 4. The future of franchising, estimated to become a $150B industry by 2028. 5. The future of retail industry is pegged at $2Trillion by 2032, and there will be many players in different types of #modernretail, #ecommerce, and #qcommerce solving for different consumers needs - like how it has happened in evolved consumer markets like USA, China. 6. There will be a consolidation in #traditional retailers, driven by new age consumer demands, infrastructural developments and franchise aspirations. 7. Our experience of working with #d2c brands, and how they can improve to better position for offline retail. https://lnkd.in/gXRp83XH

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The kitchen is hoting up !! Literally and theoretically FMCG majors are now venturing into the kitchens and wanting to take more of your mindspace, kitchen shelf space and more !! The author shares how two majors ITC and Tata Consumer are vying for the kitchen shelves and how it’s going !!! #FMCG #Thoughts

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𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐨 𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐐𝟒 𝐅𝐘𝟐𝟒 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 On May 6, 2024, Marico Limited held its Q4 FY24 earnings call with key insights from Mr. Saugata Gupta, MD & CEO, and Mr. Pawan Agrawal, CFO. 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Despite challenges like volatile input prices and subdued rural demand, the FMCG sector showed resilience. Urban growth moderated while rural demand recovered towards the end of the quarter. A gradual improvement in consumption sentiment is expected, supported by macroeconomic indicators and government spending. 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 Marico saw a sequential increase in domestic volume growth, reversing three quarters of decline. The company maintained or gained market share in 75% of its segments, with all sustaining or enhancing penetration. This positive trend is anticipated to continue into Q1 FY25. 𝐒𝐞𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐚 𝐎𝐢𝐥𝐬 Parachute saw steady recovery with a 50-bps market share gain, benefiting from favorable copra prices. Saffola oils remained stable with expected revenue growth. 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞-𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐎𝐢𝐥𝐬 This segment faced challenges but the mid and premium segments performed well. A focus on premiumization is expected to improve performance. 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Organic Foods achieved double-digit growth. Marico aims to double its Food business by FY27 with a 20%+ CAGR, supported by supply chain and cost structure improvements. 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥-𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 Premium brands like Beardo and Just Herbs showed robust growth. Marico plans to double the ARR of digital-first brands by FY27 and achieve double-digit EBITDA margins 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐒𝐄𝐓𝐔 This initiative aims to expand direct distribution to reach 1.5 million outlets by FY27, enhancing market share and assortment levels in urban stores. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 Marico's international business experienced double-digit constant currency growth, especially in Bangladesh and MENA. The revenue dependency on Bangladesh is expected to decrease from over 50% in FY22 to about 40% by FY27. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 Marico achieved its highest operating margin in FY24, with gross margin expansion despite brand-building investments. The company is confident in maintaining margins through effective pricing strategies and cost management 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 Domestic volume growth is expected to rise from Q1 FY25. Foods segment targets 20%+ CAGR by FY27. International business projected to grow double digits in FY25. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 Marico Limited's Q4 FY24 performance demonstrated resilience amid market challenges. With a positive outlook for both domestic and international markets, Marico's stock appears promising, bolstered by anticipated improvements in profitability and market share. Rishabh Kale

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It was a pleasure to share my thoughts on consumption and FMCG sector in particular and the indian economy in general in a discussion with Nikunj Dalmia the Managing Editor of ET Now. Watch the video in the link / post below. https://lnkd.in/duAg8HG2

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The Ritual Effect Book Summary Habits are what we do , eg brushing our teeth, growing our hair etc. Rituals is how we do it and what memorable code we build into it. Here's a wonderful book on RITUALS from Harvard Business School Professor Michael Norton He looks at rituals in a wide array of areas - Food, Sports, Relationships, Family situations, mourning, work and healing. Enjoy shiv www.shivshivakumar.com

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The virtuous cycle of winning Last week, the HUL Finance team of Smirithi Balaji, Parth Goradia and Bharat Jain won the coveted gold medal at the global Unilever Accounting, Controls & Risk Olympiad 2024. This marks the third consecutive year that HUL Finance has clinched a medal at this prestigious global event making this a hat-trick win. Reflecting on their win, I realized how winning can be contagious. - The first win often has a breakthrough impact – it inspires many others and makes the impossible feel within reach.  - Inspiration then drives ambition – the desire and determination to succeed no matter the hard work required. - As leaders, it's then our responsibility to nurture this spirit by providing the necessary organisational resources and support to create a culture conducive to winning. - This then leads to further wins re-fueling self-belief and ambition in the organization creating the virtuous cycle of winning. And before you know it, you’ve created a winning formula ! #uniquelyUnilever #WinningCulture

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Lessons from the MDH-Everest row: Navigating foreign waters and engaging the conscious Indian consumer in afaqs! by Nisha Qureshi Bhaskar Majumdar, head of marketing communication, CSR & Digital Egis - India and South Asia says that it's imperative for these brands to communicate effectively with their consumers. He adds that brands should immediately issue transparent statements addressing the bans and assure consumers of their commitment to quality and safety. According to him, clear communication about the steps being taken to address the issue and any potential risks is essential. “Both brands must conduct thorough investigations into their supply chains and manufacturing processes to identify any sources of EtO contamination. If necessary, the brands should initiate recalls or offer product exchanges for affected batches. Rebuilding trust with their consumers will be essential for these brands to regain their reputation and continue serving their loyal customer base.” Mrinall Dey (He/Him) Jyotsna Dash Nanda Minari Shah Amrit Ahuja Seema Shah Ahuja Manu Kumar Aalap Desai Lloyd Mathias Nisha Sampath Sridhar Ramanujam Tarunjeet Rattan Ameer Ismail (He/Him) https://lnkd.in/g8BZ5tHc

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Hot off the press: Issue 153. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝑫𝑴 𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓. To be honest, it wasn't something I planned. We have had a 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬' 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐀𝐩𝐩 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 at DSG Consumer Partners for over a decade. That group still exists, by the way. I would share interesting articles I read, podcasts I listened to, thoughts I had, and more about that group. Over time, the founders (and many non-DSGCP founders) requested that I consolidate that into a blog. The product was this newsletter, which is now on issue 153. To subscribe and receive this via email: https://lnkd.in/gYfRKVsd. If you have any feedback, leave me a message/comment below. Anyway, in this week's newsletter: ☕ Nestlé wants to double down on coffee ☕ ZUS Coffee: Malaysia’s leading coffeehouse brand 🦉 Portfolio spotlight: Sleepy Owl Coffee presents instant coffee....again ⚡ Brands rethink distribution and partner with Q-com as consumer behaviour evolves 🧳 The wealthy are spending more on travelling and experiences and less on material goods 📱 Can Zomato make its new District app work? 🍻 Brewlander continues to champion the market for craft beer 🫱🏼‍🫲🏾 India’s consumer venture ecosystem continues to grow 🩺 Nestle India x Dr. Reddy's Laboratories’s nutritional health JV 👩🏾 History lesson: Did you know L'Oréal sold its stake in Galderma in 2014 and is now buying back a piece of it? 💊 The case for gummy supplements 🪴 Portfolio spotlight: Welcome to the Ugaoo farm ⚡ Is Q-com is only sustainable for groceries and CPG? 📰 Select funding & deal news DSG Consumer Partners Hariharan Premkumar Sameer Mehta Leong Hein Hun Pooja Shirali #wswod #insurgentbrands #india #southeastasia #qcomm #coffee #plantparenting #beer #consumer

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In an opinion piece for LiveMint, Professor Sougata Ray, Executive Director, Thomas Schmidheiny Centre for Family Enterprise at ISB, shares insights into the significance of consensus-building through continuous communication in navigating generational transitions. He illustrates his points with the example of the Godrej family. “Consensus-building through continuous communication is essential for navigating generational transitions. It plays an important role in preserving and growing the wealth, legacy and identity not only of the family, but also of the businesses under its stewardship,” he writes. Read the full article here: https://hubs.ly/Q02y4QhJ0 #ISB #ISBFaculty #FamilyBusiness

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#AppointmentNews: Reckitt appoints Kanika Kalra as Regional Marketing Director – Health & Nutrition Link in the comments Gaurav Jain Kanika Kalra Reckitt #mediabrief #Reckitt #KanikaKalra #RegionalMarketingDirector #HealthAndNutrition #appointment #leadership #media

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Big QSR Slowdown! A great article in today's The Economic Times. It details the changing dynamic of big QSRs experiencing bottomline/profitability issues. While they were known for some time, now it's showing in their results. A short-term value-driven strategy to attract lost consumers will satiate the top line but will create immense pressure on the bottomline for quarters or years to come. Innovation in big companies is tough but takes time and commitment. Instead, we might see an acquisition or stake in these small/upcoming brands (Good Flippin, WoW Momos, Burger Singh, La Pino's), as big companies won't just give up. What do you think? #qsr #innovation #business #acquisition #strategy

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