Chandan Mukherji hands Nestlé India role to Varun Sethuraman

MUMBAI: Nestlé India’s marketing kitchen is stirring up change. After 13 flavourful years of crafting iconic campaigns and steering brand strategy, Chandan Mukherji, senior vice president and director – strategy and marketing communications, will hang up his apron on 31 December 2025.

Mukherji’s tenure has been marked by a recipe of creativity, strategy and purpose. From embracing digital transformation to blending consumer insights with brand storytelling, he helped Nestlé India cook up campaigns that resonated deeply with consumers and reinforced its leadership in the FMCG space. His efforts even earned him the CMO Transformation Award at the Laqshya Pitch Best CMO Awards 2025.

Before his current stint, Mukherji led global consumer insights at Nestlé’s headquarters in Switzerland and previously honed his marketing chops at Hindustan Unilever, bringing a strong foundation in brand and consumer understanding to every role he took on.

Taking over the marketing reins from 1 January 2026 will be Varun Sethuraman, currently business executive officer – cereals. A Nestlé veteran of over 14 years, Sethuraman has built a reputation for strategic thinking and consumer-focused innovation. He was instrumental in rejuvenating Maggi noodles in 2021 and driving growth in the cereals division amid intense market competition.

As head of marketing communications, Sethuraman will oversee Nestlé India’s brand strategy, integrated marketing and consumer engagement efforts, building on Mukherji’s legacy while infusing new ideas into the mix.

With this leadership handover, Nestlé India looks set to serve the next course of its marketing journey, one that promises to be equal parts inventive, data-driven and delightfully human.