HOW 'DESI' MNC WON IN MANY INDIAS

Outgoing HUL CEO & MD Sanjiv Mehta explains to BW Businessworld why "his best is yet to come"

- SUMAN K. JHA

IF SANJIV MEHTA were to be given back his last 31 years, "he would do exactly what he did in his stellar innings at Hindustan Unilever, and Unilever, in the last three decades".

As Mehta passes on the baton to a highly accomplished Rohit Jawa, Mehta's heart is filled with gratitude. He credits his team, starting from the management committee, for the outstanding run as CEO of HUL in the last ten years. Numbers speak for themselves: In 2013, when Mehta took over as HUL CEO, it was a Rs 25,000-crore company. As he prepares for his next innings - Mehta is clear, his best is yet to come HUL is almost a Rs 60,000 crore company. HUL saw a 16 percent growth in turnover to Rs 58,154 crore in 2022-23. Among many landmarks, the company is credited with expanding the FMCG pie, "by creating created new segments worth nearly Rs 10,000 crore".

For the CA-turned-CEO, Unilever was part of everyday folklore. Mehta, in fact, looked up to iconic HUL leaders like Ashok Ganguly and T. Thomas. Students of Indian business history and India Inc. would now perhaps be tempted to bracket Mehta along with these greats.

Mehta's stint at HUL is not about numbers alone. He led from the front while "reimagining HUL" and also devising newer strategies to expand far and wide, in India. Clearly, "Winning in Many Indias (WIMI)" would be one case study that will be a staple for business leaders and management students for long.