Narayanan—the accidental CEO—with a lasting legacy

The Nestlé crisis-era chief and Maggi comeback architect bows out after nearly four decades

- Suneera Tandon

Uresh Narayanan's entry into the corporate world was serendipitous. Growing up in pre-liberalized India, he didn't consider a career in the packaged consumer goods industry. He wanted to be a bureaucrat, following in his father's footsteps.

But a chance encounter during his final year at the Delhi School of Economics led to his first corporate job. This week, he'll end his four-decade corporate career when he steps down as the chairman and managing director of Nestlé India Ltd.

On 1 August, Amazon's Manish Tiwary will replace Narayanan, who has been with the Swiss packaged foods company for over 25 years, including a decade of leading its India operations.

But a look back at his career, in some sense, suggests he was being prepared for this role from the very beginning.

"People wanted me to do engineering or medicine. I studied economics instead with every intention of being a bureaucrat that was drilled in me—my father was in government, so was my grandfather," said Narayanan.

Hindustan Lever Ltd (HUL), a coveted employer at the time, was recruiting on campus—a rare event back then. Narayanan, who hadn't taken the CAT exam (mandatory for pursuing an MBA), was persuaded by a peer to apply, and to his surprise, he got the role. This prompted his move to Mumbai, with a monthly salary of ₹1,200-1,300.

Narayanan's career at HUL was entirely focused on the food division, a natural precursor to what was to come.