How Marico Became a 95,000 Crore+ FMCG Powerhouse | Saugata Gupta (MD & CEO) on Brand, Capital & Leadership | The India Opportunity Show with Shrishti Sahu
Playbook on reinvention, startup acquisitions and growing Indian brands globally
Hello everyone, welcome to The India Opportunity Show where you get a front-row seat to people building India’s future. We talk about unlocking the potential of the country with founders, investors, creators, and successful leaders from different fields to bring you real-life stories and behind-the-scenes of what it takes to be at the forefront of building the India Story.
Episode 16, Season 3 of The India Opportunity Show is out now! You can watch it on YouTube or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Today on The India Opportunity Show, I’m joined by someone who has quietly built one of India’s most admired consumer brands.
Saugata Gupta is the Managing Director & CEO of Marico, the company behind Parachute, Saffola, Set Wet and several category-defining brands trusted by millions of Indian households, valued at over 95000 Crores.
Under his leadership, Marico has:
scaled across India and international markets
transformed from a heritage brand to a modern consumer powerhouse by acquiring multiple startups
built a culture around innovation, discipline, and long-term thinking
Saugata is widely respected not just as a CEO — but as a thoughtful capital allocator, a people-first leader, and someone who deeply understands the Indian consumer.
Today, we’re going to talk about building enduring brands, navigating competition, leadership through cycles, and what the next decade of Indian consumption really looks like.
Chapters
00:00 — Teaser
01:05 — Intro: Why Marico’s story matters
03:14 — Founder mindset: building culture that compounds
07:30 — Leadership frameworks & “right to win” strategy
11:40 — Finding blue oceans vs fighting crowded markets
15:55 — Build vs Buy: How Marico decides
19:40 — Acquiring startups the right way
23:50 — Profitability discipline & avoiding growth traps
27:30 — Capital allocation: lessons from decades in FMCG
31:45 — How brands earn trust (and keep it)
35:40 — Food, wellness & the next big category waves
37:50 — Biggest misses & what they taught Marico
40:10 — The real truth about FMCG growth in India
42:10 — Rural distribution: moat, scale & execution
46:20 — Brand-building philosophy for the long term
50:04 — Final takeaways & closing thoughts
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Disclaimer: The content presented in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Viewers are encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.