Brands
Blinkit promotes Sumit Garg to associate director
GURUGRAM: Blinkit has elevated Sumit Garg to the role of associate director, marking a key step up for the operations leader within India’s rapidly evolving quick commerce landscape.
In his new position, Garg is set to help steer strategic initiatives and sharpen operational efficiency as Blinkit continues its expansion under the Zomato Group umbrella. The promotion reflects a steady rise through the company’s ranks, built on a mix of programme management, cross-functional coordination, and supply chain optimisation.
Garg joined Blinkit in 2021 and has since progressed through multiple leadership roles, from manager II to programme manager, then senior programme manager, before stepping into the associate director position in January 2026. His work has largely centred on streamlining fulfilment processes, improving capacity planning, and tightening the operational playbook for high-velocity grocery delivery.
Before Blinkit, he held roles at Flipkart, where he managed pan-India fulfilment centre operations for grocery e-commerce, and earlier at Ajio and Snapdeal, focusing on customer experience analytics, process design, and order lifecycle improvements. Across these roles, he built a reputation for reducing delivery bottlenecks, improving return processes, and driving data-led operational decisions.
With more than a decade of experience across some of India’s biggest e-commerce platforms, Garg’s promotion signals Blinkit’s continued focus on operational depth as the quick commerce race intensifies.
Brands
Mars appoints Manish Syag as managing director for pet nutrition in India
FMCG veteran takes charge as managing director amid booming $2 billion market opportunity
DELHI: Mars Incorporated has elevated Manish Syag to managing director of its pet nutrition business in India, betting on two decades of FMCG expertise to capture a market poised for explosive growth.
Syag, who brings senior leadership experience from Hindustan Unilever and GSK Consumer Healthcare, joined Mars in 2024 as chief sales officer. He succeeds Salil Murthy, who has been promoted to global vice-president of enterprise transformation at Mars Pet Nutrition and will be based at the company’s London headquarters.
The appointment comes as India’s pet care market stands at what Syag calls “a defining moment”. The sector is projected to double to $7 billion in sales by 2028, up from $3.5 billion last year, according to Redseer Strategy Consultants. The number of pets in Indian households rose to 32 million in 2024 from 26 million in 2019.
“India is at a defining moment for the pet food market, which is expected to grow into a $2 billion category in a decade, evolving much as mainstream FMCG did in its early growth years, driven by access, awareness and trust,” Syag said.
Mars, which makes Pedigree, Whiskas and Sheba pet food brands, has been in India since 2002 and set up its first manufacturing facility five years later. The parent company’s other brands in chocolate and snacks include M&M’s, Snickers, Pringles and Cheez-It.
Large players in India’s pet care space include Mars, Nestlé, Heads Up For Tails and Drools. Reliance entered the category late last year, signalling growing corporate interest in a market that’s barely scratched the surface. With India’s rising pet ownership and premiumisation trends, the battle for bowls is only just beginning.
