Food inflation shaped household choices; long-term growth potential intact: Nestle chairman

New Delhi: Food inflation shaped household choices in ways that went far beyond price, and families reconsidered pack sizes, purchase frequencies, and category priorities in FY 26, Nestle India chairman and managing director Manish Tiwary told shareholders at the company’s 67th AGM on Friday.

While terming the year as one with uneven demand patterns, steep surge in commodity costs and geopolitical churn, Tiwary noted in his address that the country’s long-term potential remained intact.

“There will be quarters that test and bets that don’t pay off immediately but that’s the nature of building something that lasts,” he said.


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Nestle India reported 22.6% year-on-year increase in revenues to Rs 6,748 crore for the January-March 2026 quarter.

The India unit of the Swiss foods maker is now the world’s largest market for Maggi noodles and KitKat chocolates.

In what was his first AGM after taking over the corner office, Tiwary said: “We are operating in a market full of opportunities, but one that will increasingly reward only those who are agile, disciplined, and genuinely close to the consumer.”

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Nestle, which also makes Nescafe and Cerelac infant foods, will continue its focus on consumer centricity, penetration-led volume growth, reinvestment behind brands and capacity, and accelerating technology-enabled sales and operations, he said. The packaged foods maker reinvested its savings into higher advertising and digital spending to deepen brand reach and support growth, Tiwary added.