Harsh Mariwala on succession planning
From Harsh Mariwala on Family, Succession & Building Marico into a ₹1 Lakh Crore Empire | Podcast · · Uncovered with Suketu Shah
“I had to do it because I followed that thumb rule of what is good for the organization comes first and not what is good for the family. So it was in the interest of the organization to appoint a professional who had been with me for 10 years prior to his appointing being appointed managing director and I think it has paid off brilliant dividends in the last 10 12 years. Our growth our market cap everything is gone up substantially.”
On , Harsh Mariwala, Chairman at Marico, spoke about succession planning during Harsh Mariwala on Family, Succession & Building Marico into a ₹1 Lakh Crore Empire | Podcast on Uncovered with Suketu Shah.
About Harsh Mariwala
Harsh Mariwala, chairman of Marico, said in a podcast that he was certain he would not work for anyone else and wanted to be in his own business. He discussed his approach to succession, stating that he appointed a professional as managing director because it was in the interest of the organization, not the family, and that the decision has paid dividends. Mariwala also said that once a company goes public, it is no longer the founder's company, as it is owned by many other shareholders. He described his relationship with his son as having been strained, and said he used "green balls"—people his wife respects who agree with his views—to influence her in family disputes. Speaking at the Citi India Conference 2026, Mariwala said that direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands pose both a threat and an opportunity to traditional FMCG companies. He noted that India's demographics are "so bad" due to rising rates of heart disease, pre-diabetes, and fatty liver disease among young adults, and said that preventive healthcare will account for 30% of Marico's capital allocation. Mariwala emphasized the importance of innovation and differentiation for creating new brands, and said the biggest deterrent to innovation is the fear of failure, particularly among management graduates who are risk-averse. He added that he spends 25% of his time on philanthropic activities, including mental health and entrepreneurship.