Mars, Incorporated has announced the appointment of Manish Syag as Managing Director of its Pet Nutrition division in India, while the current Managing Director Salil Murthy has been elevated to Global Vice President, Enterprise Transformation, Mars Pet Nutrition, based in London.
Syag, an alumnus of IIM Lucknow, brings over two decades of FMCG leadership experience, having held senior roles at Hindustan Unilever and GSK Consumer Healthcare. He joined Mars in 2024 as Chief Sales Officer and will now lead the company’s India Growth Agenda, focusing on expanding operational capabilities and strengthening leadership in the fast-growing pet food category. Mars’ portfolio in India includes brands such as PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS® and SHEBA®. The company expects the Indian pet food market to grow into a USD 2-billion category within the next decade.
Murthy, in his new global role, will drive long-term transformation initiatives, including strengthening digital and AI capabilities and building a future-ready operating model for the global pet nutrition business. In Kolkata, there is a rising pet ownership and growing demand for packaged pet food across eastern India, with urban centres such as Kolkata emerging as key consumption hubs. Expanding retail penetration and increasing awareness among pet parents are expected to further support growth in the region. Mars Pet Nutrition has been present in India since 2002 and operates one of the country’s earliest pet food manufacturing facilities established in 2007.