Go to a snow-clad mountain in North India in peak winter, and chances are someone will serve you a steaming bowl of Maggi by the roadside—no electricity, but hot instant noodles, always. Walk into a corner kirana in a Tier-3 town, and you’ll find a Kit Kat bar waiting patiently by the cash counter. Even at a sleepy railway station at dawn, you’ll likely find a cup of Nescafé doing what no alarm clock can—reviving both spirit and senses. Ask a new mother anywhere in India, and “Cerelac” will often beat “banana” to her recall. Nestle’s consumers are everywhere. Leaders, apparently, not so much, it seems.
Deep roots in India
Nestlé’s connection with India runs deep. Long before global supply chains and multinational footprints became the norm, the company had embedded itself into Indian households through both product and presence. From its early entry in 1912 to the establishment of its first factory in Moga in 1961, Nestlé has operated with the assurance of a long-term partner in India’s growth story.
In the wake of the 2015 Maggi crisis, Nestlé India demonstrated resilience by launching over 150 new products, contributing to nearly seven percent of its current sales. Today, its distribution network spans more than five million outlets, and its ambitions reach into new categories, from breakfast cereals to the premium coffee experience of Nespresso, and even pet foods. With revenues around Rs 20,000 crore, Nestlé India is undoubtedly large, but when viewed in the context of its century-old presence, one might expect a larger business impact and imprint.
A transition that turns the spotlight on internal leadership systems
It is in this context that Nestlé India’s recent leadership transition draws attention. The appointment of Manish Tiwary, a seasoned executive from outside the organisation, is undoubtedly a recognition of his credentials in modern commerce, particularly digital platforms and consumer goods. However, the larger implications of this choice extend beyond the individual. They lie in what this moment reveals about Nestlé’s internal leadership systems—and what it did not find within them.
A company that has spent decades in India, and built an enviable portfolio of consumer brands, would reasonably be expected to have cultivated leaders from within. Yet, when the time came to identify the next steward of its Indian business, the successor was sought externally. That decision invites scrutiny—not of the appointee, but of the institutional capacity that preceded him. A leader’s true legacy lies not in how long they lead, but in how well they prepare others to lead after them. When institutions depend on personalities, they age with them; but when they invest in depth, they endure beyond them.
This reflection is not about Nestlé as a brand, nor about the individuals involved in its leadership transition. It is about the wider lessons in leadership development and succession planning in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world—and within a market as demanding and layered as India.
Succession planning: Are MNCs better than Indian promoters?
Ironically, succession failures are often attributed to Indian promoter-led entities, with criticisms aimed at inadequate planning, overdependence on founders, or lack of institutional depth. But when a multinational with a global footprint and a century-long presence in India fails to produce a leadership-ready internal candidate, it offers a sobering counterpoint. It reminds us that succession planning is not merely a promoter problem; it is a governance imperative for every Board, regardless of ownership model or global pedigree.
Within Nestlé’s global structure, there is no shortage of senior Indian professionals. Many have served in senior roles across geographies, and their presence reflects the company’s broad access to talent and diversity. Against that backdrop, the absence of a leadership-ready Indian candidate for its Indian business suggests a deeper issue—not of capability, but of preparation. It raises questions about whether talent has been actively nurtured to match the complexity and opportunity of the Indian market today. They are the outcome of structured development, visible Board oversight, and a deep belief in the cultural relevance of locally anchored leadership.
Many multinational corporations like Unilever, ABB have successfully cultivated and promoted Indian leaders to head their India operations and even global businesses, reflecting a deliberate and effective succession strategy. Globally, Indian executives have earned a reputation as some of the world’s most capable leaders, sought after to helm companies across industries and continents. Some have even gone to call India the “CEO capital of the world”.
A set of arguments by few market analysts indicates a belief of talent gap. If the belief is that internal candidates are not equipped to manage new-age challenges such as e-commerce distribution, complex consumer insights, and rapidly evolving ideologies, then it raises concerns about the effectiveness of Nestlé India’s talent pipeline and organisational culture.
Leadership transitions, especially in organisations with such a rich heritage, often carry the weight of tradition. Yet, many current leaders still view successors through the lens of their own career paths and accomplishments and what they personally consider theirs as legacy unmatched for decades to come, expecting continuity in a world that has transformed dramatically.
Harmful signalling
There is also the question of signalling. When internal talent sees key leadership roles consistently being filled from outside, it shapes their sense of what is possible—no matter how strong the rhetoric on mobility and inclusion. Over time, this perception begins to influence retention, ambition, and how the company is viewed as an employer of choice. In markets like India, where leadership talent is abundant and highly mobile, the message a company sends through its succession decisions matters just as much as the outcome.
Leadership transitions are moments of truth. They reveal the underlying values of an organisation, the clarity of its governance, and the seriousness with which it prepares and grooms its people for the future. For companies that aspire to be rooted in their markets while operating with global scale, the strength of their internal bench is a reflection of their institutional maturity.
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