'GST 2.0 transformational for FMCG'

Consumer goods major Marico sees urban growth picking up in the second half of FY 26, led by easing inflation, GST cuts, a low base and a favourable policy environment.

- @ SAUGATA GUPTA , MD & CEO, MARICO

The company, best-known for its Parachute and Saffola brands, also expects volume growth to get stronger by FY27.Saugata Gupta, MD & CEO, Marico, in an interview with Viveat Susan Pinto, outlines the company’s priorities in foods, digital-first brands and distribution. Excerpts:

Has the FMCG sector’s long-awaited rebound finally arrived after the challenges it faced over the last few years? We are far more optimistic about the sector now than we were earlier. Rural growth has been looking up for multiple quarters now. Urban growth was slower, largely at the mass end of the market, but we are witnessing steady improvement. With the GST cuts, products have become affordable and accessible to consumers. And here is where I believe that the GST reduction has been transformational for FMCG. It will ensure that the shift from unbranded consumption to branded consumption, especially, in food, will become far more attractive. From a growth point of view, this shift becomes critical for companies. In emerging markets like India, real value comes from driving penetration, innovating, premiumising, and protecting market share. If you deliver value to consumers, profitability will follow.

Is Marico on track to achieve the ~20,000-crore revenue target it has set for 2030?