Mumbai: Mars, Incorporated has appointed Manish Syag as Managing Director of its Pet Nutrition division in India. He succeeds Salil Murthy, who has been elevated to the role of Global Vice President, Enterprise Transformation, Mars Pet Nutrition, and will be based in London.
In his new role, Syag will lead the India business, which houses some of the country’s most trusted pet food brands, including PEDIGREE, WHISKAS and SHEBA. He will spearhead the India Growth Agenda, strengthen operational capabilities and deepen the company’s leadership in one of the fastest emerging FMCG categories in the country.
Syag brings over two decades of FMCG leadership experience, having held senior sales roles at Hindustan Unilever Limited and GSK Consumer Healthcare. An alumnus of IIM Lucknow, he joined Mars in 2024 as Chief Sales Officer and has since played a pivotal role in shaping the next phase of growth for the India pet nutrition business.
Speaking on his appointment, Manish Syag said, “India is at a defining moment for the pet food market, which is expected to grow into a USD 2 billion category in a decade, evolving much as mainstream FMCG did in its early growth years, driven by access, awareness, and trust. I am excited to take on this role and lead the next phase of growth for our business in India, serving pets and pet parents across the country with trusted, high-quality packaged pet food by further strengthening our portfolio of deeply loved brands and expanding our market presence. At the heart of this journey will be our Mars Five Principles, and our Purpose: ‘A Better World For Pets.’”
Salil Murthy, who previously led the India Pet Nutrition business, will now focus on advancing the global transformation agenda for Mars Pet Nutrition. In his new role, he will drive leadership and organisational capability, accelerate digital and AI initiatives, and build a simpler, faster and more future-ready operating model.
Talking about his new role, Salil Murthy said, “I am excited to take on this new global role and help shape the future of Mars Pet Nutrition. This role offers an opportunity to focus on driving accelerated growth for the global Pet Nutrition business through unleashing the power of our associates across the world, strengthening our strategic resource allocation process and our digital and AI capabilities, and accelerating transformation to win with pet parents and our customers in every market. Leading the India Pet Nutrition business has been deeply fulfilling, and I’m incredibly proud of the growth we have driven and the high-performing team we have built over the last few years. I have every confidence in Manish’s leadership to take the business forward in its next phase of growth.”
Francisco Fernandez, Regional President, Mars Pet Nutrition – Rapid Growth Markets, said, “India is one of the most important growth markets for Mars Pet Nutrition. Salil’s elevation reflects the strong, purpose-led business he and the team have built in India and the depth of leadership talent emerging from this market. Manish’s appointment demonstrates our confidence in his expertise, leadership capability, and deep understanding of pet parents and customers in India. Together, these appointments reinforce our commitment to developing leaders from within and further strengthening India’s role in our global strategy and future growth of the business.”
Mars Pet Nutrition has been present in India since 2002 with the launch of PEDIGREE, and established the country’s first pet food manufacturing facility in 2007. Today, the company serves millions of pets and pet parents across India with a portfolio of trusted, high-quality products for both dogs and cats.
