The Smart Podcast is back, and this time, it’s brewed strong. Sunil D'Souza, MD & CEO of Tata Consumer Products, joins Chacko Thomas, GCSO, TATA SONS LIMITED, for a chat on why sustainability isn’t a burden — it’s a business edge. From plastic to packaging to repaired suitcases, this episode proves that smart moves can also be strategic, future-ready ones.
Tune in to discover:
How a small act like repairing a suitcase can shape perspective
Why circularity is a strategic business pillar
What mindset shifts companies need to thrive in a resource-constrained future
Simple, everyday circular habi...
Questions asked in this interview
7
0:00The first question to you: what is the oldest item that you still use, and why is it that you haven't thrown it away?
1:33One day, any one single everyday used product that you would wish had an alternative which is far more sustainable?
2:38Another quick question to you: something that you have repaired instead of replacing, and if you did that, why did you choose to do that?
3:41So if there's one effort that you would have taken on, something more that you would have done on a subject like water, what would that have been?
4:34Would you like to give a few examples of how you are embedding the principles of circularity into the business?
5:38What are the biggest mind shifts businesses would need to take if they want to become resilient or want to succeed, especially when you're talking about a resource constrained world that we are operating in right now?
6:50In your opinion, what are some quick wins that data colleagues and friends could adopt in their daily lives to promote circularity?
Welcome to this conversation that I'm having with Mr. Sunil D'souza, the CEO of Tata Consumer Products in India, and this episode that we are going to be filming is also to mark the Tata sustainability month for year 2025. As you're aware, sustainability in the group is not a standalone goal. It is about people, planet, and of course profits that go along with it. On that note, I'm extremely grateful that you've taken this time to have this conversation with us, especially because not only do you head one of the most iconic companies in the group, Tata Consumer, and the stories of sustainability are truly pathbreaking and they're steeped in so much tradition. The first question to you: what is the oldest item that you still use, and why is it that you haven't thrown it away?
So the oldest item that I still use, I still carry in my bag, which is a fountain pen. Because again, you can keep putting in refills. From a sustainability perspective, also from a reliability perspective, you never have to go around looking for refills when you run out. So the pen is always full. Nowadays you write less, but whenever I need to write, it's still that pen, probably 23 years old.
Wow, fancy. And you still maintain it. Yes. One day, any one single everyday used product that you would wish had an alternative which is far more sustainable?
I would think when there is legislation around it and there is a lot of, I would have to say, use high value around it, plastic. I know some states and some cities have banned single use plastic, but the definition of what is single use plastic, and I mean people getting more educated about it and then consciously walking away. I mean a lot of times when people ask me at the store, 'Do you need a bag?' I mean it's a small piece, I can carry it in my hand. I mean why do I need a bag? Or if I'm getting into my car, then put it into the car and move on, right? I mean just that simple thing. I mean those videos on National Geographic etc. which show you the amount of plastic that lands up in the middle of the ocean and what happens as a result. I think that is a critical piece.
Yeah, I totally resonate with what you're saying. Another quick question to you: something that you have repaired instead of replacing, and if you did that, why did you choose to do that?
So number one is I like to tinker around, and therefore I always like to repair rather than replace. Not for anything, but the tinkering habit doesn't go away. But recently, my wife came back with the lock which was broken on her strolly bag, where the instinctive reaction was 'let's buy one more.' I went on to Amazon and I figured out you can just buy the lock. I didn't know exactly how I would open it and fit it. I ordered it, and then spent about half an hour, and the bag was working with the lock which was working.
That's a good word. So if there's one effort that you would have taken on, something more that you would have done on a subject like water, what would that have been?
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