Suresh Narayanan bids farewell, leaves behind the remarkable story of Maggi's redemption
After a decade of steering Nestlé India through storms - from Arab Spring to Maggi meltdown - Suresh Narayanan exits with a legacy built on resilience, reputation, and the power of storytelling.
ADVERTISEMENT
On July 31, Suresh Narayanan, the man who became synonymous with Maggi's miraculous comeback will be stepping down as Chairman and Managing Director after a 10-year tenure defined by crises, comebacks, and courageous leadership.
Taking over the reins will be Manish Tiwary, marking a new era for one of India's most influential FMCG giants.
Narayanan didn't inherit a calm ship - he took charge in 2015, just as Maggi noodles, one of India's most beloved brands, faced an unprecedented public and regulatory storm.
Accused of containing excess lead and MSG, Maggi was banned across the country, erasing decades of goodwill almost overnight and plunging Nestlé India into its worst-ever brand crisis.
But if there's one thing Narayanan understood better than quarterly numbers, it was the emotional equity of Maggi noodles in Indian households.
At Storyboard18's Global Pioneers Summit, Narayanan and Prasoon Joshi, lyricist and CEO of McCann Worldgroup India, reflected on how they led one of the most successful brand resurrections in the history of Indian marketing.
"This is the only brand in Indian FMCG that went from leadership to near extinction and returned to the top within three months of its launch," Narayanan said. "No other brand has walked through that kind of fire and come back." The comeback wasn't just about relaunching a product - it was about rewriting the narrative.
Joshi, who led the creative reboot, crafted emotionally resonant campaigns like "I Miss You Too" and "Aise hi nahi bana hai aapka Nestlé." These weren't just taglines; they were emotional bridges between a disillusioned public and a brand they once trusted. "In times of crisis, a product cannot redeem itself. The story around it must," Joshi said.
The key was nostalgia - an invisible thread tying Indian consumers to the yellow packet that had accompanied their childhoods, hostel days, and midnight cravings.
Narayanan understood this bond. And he knew, from his earlier stint in the Middle East during the Arab Spring, that calm under pressure, and even humour, could help leadership navigate chaos. "I used to start meetings with a joke," he shared. "It releases the right hormones for difficult conversations."
That sense of levity, combined with steely resolve and human-centred leadership, defined Narayanan's style.
As Maggi returned to shelves and hearts, it wasn't just a business win - it was a cultural reset.
