Nestle India announced the appointment of Nitu Bhushan as the new head of human resources. Bhushan previously worked as the chief human resources officer at Pernod Ricard, will start in her new position on March 2, 2026, according to the company’s filing with the BSE on December 10.
Bhushan, aged 47, comes with over 22 years of experience in human resources, a high-energy and talented HR professional having worked with multi-industries spanning fast-moving consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, banking, and technology companies.
She holds a Master’s degree in Personnel Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Electronics & Telecommunication). With over 22 years of experience, she has held key HR positions at leading organisations, including Pernod Ricard India, Accenture, Asian Paints, HSBC Bank, Mondelez International, and Abbott.
Broader Transition
Her appointment has been announced amidst a host of top management changes over the next 15 months, which would cover finance and technical functions. She takes over from Anurag Patnaik, who decided to move on and will leave the company, effective December 31, 2025.
Patnaik has been working at the company for more than 20 years. He was appointed as the Head of HR in February 2021. He joined Nestle India as a Management Trainee in 2005.
Last week, Nestlé India announced that its Chief Financial Officer, Svetlana Boldina, will step down from her role effective January 31, 2026, to assume a new position within a Nestlé affiliate. The company had said Boldina’s successor will be announced in due course.
Similarly, Satish Srinivasan, executive director – technical, will retire on May 31, 2026, and will be succeeded by Jagdeep Singh Marahar as whole-time director of the company, effective June 1, 2026. As part of the transition, Marahar will be designated as head technical.
Marahar, aged 52, joined Nestlé India in 1997 and currently serves as Managing Director of Nestlé R&D Centre India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Nestlé S.A., Switzerland. He brings over 29 years of experience and holds a Master’s degree in Food Technology and a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture with Honours in Food Science.
Simultaneously, the company’s legal function is also undergoing leadership change. General Counsel and Head of Legal & Compliance, Venkateswaran T.S., is set to retire after more than three decades in corporate law and regulatory leadership.
The company also announced the retirement of Sanjay Bahadur, Executive Vice President and Head of Group Strategy and Business Development, in November.
All proposed changes will be placed before the Board of Directors at the ensuing meeting for consideration, based on recommendations from the Nomination and Remuneration Committee. The company has provided extended timelines for these transitions to ensure smooth succession planning and continuity of operations.
Strategic Rationale
Analysts note that the leadership changes mark an important transition phase as the company adapts to shifting market dynamics, regulatory scrutiny, and digital transformation within the fast-moving consumer goods sector.
Nestle SA had announced in October that it would shed 16,000 jobs over the next two years as part of restructuring and a sharper focus on higher-return products, attributing the statement to its new CEO Philipp Navratil.
