Dabur India Ltd. has appointed Herjit S. Bhalla as Chief Executive Officer – India Business, marking a significant leadership transition at one of India’s largest homegrown food and fast-moving consumer goods companies. Bhalla will report to Mohit Malhotra, who has been elevated to Global CEO, and will assume charge of Dabur’s domestic operations from April 15. His appointment comes at a time when the company is navigating evolving consumption patterns, early signs of rural recovery and intensifying competition from both established FMCG players and new-age digital brands. The move underscores Dabur’s focus on accelerating growth in its core India business while sharpening execution across categories and channels.
Bhalla joins Dabur from The Hershey Company, where he spent over eight years in senior leadership roles across India and global markets, most recently serving as Vice President – Canada & Global Customers based in Dubai. During his tenure, he led businesses across Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa and earlier served as Managing Director – India, driving market expansion and portfolio growth. Before Hershey, he was Chief Operating Officer – North & East at Metro Cash & Carry India, where he led regional growth initiatives and expansion strategy. His longest professional stint was with Hindustan Unilever Ltd., where he spent more than 16 years across sales, marketing and customer development leadership roles, managing large portfolios, driving modern trade growth and delivering market-beating performance across geographies, including international markets such as Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. His experience in distribution scale, channel development and consumer marketing is expected to play a central role in shaping Dabur’s next phase of growth in India.
Bhalla takes charge at a crucial time for Dabur’s India operations, which remain the company’s primary growth engine. The FMCG major has been navigating a mixed demand environment marked by improving rural consumption but uneven urban recovery, along with structural shifts in distribution and consumer behaviour. In its most recent financial update for the third quarter of FY26 (October–December 2025), Dabur reported consolidated revenue of ₹3,559 crore, registering 6.1% year-on-year growth, while net profit rose 7.3% to ₹553.6 crore. The India FMCG business itself recorded around 6% growth during the quarter, supported by steady demand across consumer care and healthcare categories.
For the nine months ended December 2025, Dabur’s consolidated revenue stood at ₹10,154.5 crore, reflecting a 4.3% year-on-year increase, with growth led by its consumer care portfolio and supported by improving demand conditions. The company has reported broad-based performance across categories despite input cost pressures, with operating profit rising and market share gains across key segments such as honey, hair oils and oral care.
Dabur’s domestic business spans health supplements, Ayurvedic healthcare, personal care, oral care, hair care and packaged foods and beverages, with flagship brands such as Chyawanprash, Dabur Honey, Real juices, Dabur Amla and Vatika forming the backbone of its portfolio. The company’s strategy in recent years has focused on strengthening rural distribution, premiumising urban offerings and expanding its presence in modern retail and digital commerce. Rural markets contribute a significant share of domestic revenues, and the company expects improving rural demand and supportive consumption trends to drive volume growth in the coming quarters.
A key priority for the new India CEO will be sharpening Dabur’s channel strategy amid rapid transformation in India’s FMCG distribution landscape. The company has been expanding its presence across organised retail, e-commerce and quick commerce platforms while continuing to deepen its traditional distribution network reaching millions of retail outlets. Bhalla’s strong background in customer development, modern trade and market execution is expected to help optimise channel mix and improve last-mile performance.
Another strategic area is Dabur Ventures, the company’s recently announced investment initiative aimed at backing emerging digital-first consumer brands and new-age product categories. The move reflects Dabur’s intent to participate more actively in high-growth segments and diversify beyond its traditional Ayurveda-led portfolio. Industry observers expect Bhalla to play an active role in shaping this investment strategy, identifying acquisition opportunities and building partnerships that strengthen Dabur’s position in health, wellness and food categories.
Founded in 1884, Dabur has built one of India’s strongest consumer franchises around Ayurveda and natural health products, supported by deep brand equity and a wide distribution footprint. However, the company faces growing competition from multinational FMCG firms, specialist wellness brands and agile direct-to-consumer startups competing in high-growth segments such as immunity, functional foods and natural personal care. Leadership transitions in such companies often signal strategic recalibration, particularly when executives with strong execution and market development credentials take charge of core businesses.
Bhalla’s leadership experience includes:
- Over eight years at The Hershey Company in India and global roles across multiple regions
- Managing Director – India at Hershey, leading market expansion and business growth
- Chief Operating Officer – North & East at Metro Cash & Carry India
- A 16-year career at Hindustan Unilever across sales, marketing and customer development
- Experience managing large P&L portfolios and driving double-digit growth through distribution scale
For Dabur, the appointment signals a renewed push to accelerate growth in its largest market while adapting to changing consumption patterns and channel dynamics. As India’s consumer economy evolves and demand conditions improve, Bhalla’s ability to combine operational rigour with strategic expansion will shape how the company balances its legacy strengths with new-age opportunities across food, wellness and consumer products.
