Mars, Incorporated has appointed Manish Syag as managing director of its pet nutrition business in India. In this role, he will oversee a portfolio that includes leading brands such as Pedigree, Whiskas and Sheba.
Manish brings more than 20 years of FMCG leadership experience, having previously held senior sales roles at Hindustan Unilever Limited and GSK Consumer Healthcare. 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. An alumnus of IIM Lucknow, he is recognised for building high-performing teams and scaling businesses.
As managing director, Manish will focus on accelerating growth in India, strengthening operational capabilities and further consolidating Mars’ leadership in the rapidly evolving pet food category.
Commenting on his appointment, Manish said India is at a defining stage in the evolution of the pet food market, which is expected to grow into a USD 2 billion category over the next decade. He added that he looks forward to leading the business’s next growth phase, guided by the Mars Five Principles and the company’s purpose of creating a better world for pets.
Manish succeeds Salil Murthy, who has been elevated to global vice president, enterprise transformation, Mars Pet Nutrition, and will be based in London. In his new global role, Salil will focus on advancing the long-term transformation agenda, strengthening organisational capability and enabling growth through a simpler and more future-ready operating model.
Salil said leading the India business had been deeply fulfilling and expressed confidence in Manish’s leadership to take the business forward. Francisco Fernandez, regional president, Mars Pet Nutrition, rapid growth markets, added that India is one of the company’s most important growth markets and that Manish’s appointment underlines Mars’ commitment to developing leadership talent from within.
Mars Pet Nutrition has operated in India since 2002 with the launch of Pedigree and set up the country’s first pet food manufacturing facility in 2007. Today, the company serves millions of pets and pet parents across India through its extensive portfolio of dog and cat nutrition products.