Prashant Peres takes charge of Mars Snacking India, to lead combined Mars–Kellanova business

Prashant Peres has taken over as General Manager for Mars Snacking in India, assuming leadership of the combined Mars and Kellanova businesses at a moment of transition for the global confectionery and snacks major in one of its most competitive markets.

In his new role, Peres will oversee the integration and growth of two portfolios that bring together some of the world’s most recognisable snacking brands, alongside established distribution and category expertise. The mandate, as he outlined, is not merely operational consolidation, but the building of what he described as a “truly unique organisation” — one that blends scale with execution excellence.

India represents both opportunity and pressure for multinational consumer goods companies. The market offers sustained volume growth, premiumisation potential and a rapidly evolving retail landscape, but it also demands sharper localisation, cost discipline and faster innovation cycles. For Mars Snacking, which competes in categories where local and global players are equally aggressive, success hinges on combining brand strength with speed and organisational cohesion.

Peres acknowledged that the next phase will be defined as much by people and culture as by portfolios and performance. He pointed to the importance of collaboration across teams in bringing the combined business together, and framed the integration as a platform to shape categories and deliver long-term value across consumers, customers and communities.

His appointment comes at a time when global food and snacking companies are reassessing how they operate in high-growth markets like India, where scale alone is no longer a competitive advantage. Execution quality, talent depth and the ability to build resilient organisations have become equally critical.