Colgate-Palmolive India has appointed Manish Anandani as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 28, 2026. The appointment follows the elevation of Prabha Narasimhan to Executive Vice President – Marketing, Asia-Pacific Division, effective September 27, 2026.
Narasimhan has led Colgate-Palmolive India for four years, during which the company focused on premiumisation, digital transformation, quick-commerce expansion and category development in oral care. Under her leadership, the company says its premium portfolio grew at five times the pace of the broader market, alongside volume-led growth and profitability.
Her tenure also saw greater emphasis on digital and e-commerce channels, as well as initiatives aimed at expanding oral hygiene adoption across urban and rural markets. Colgate’s purpose-led programmes, including Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures and the Oral Health Movement, were also part of the company’s agenda during this period.
In her new role, Narasimhan will take on responsibility for marketing across the Asia-Pacific division. Prior to joining Colgate-Palmolive India, she held senior leadership positions at Hindustan Unilever, including Executive Director for Home Care, with experience across consumer categories and international markets.
Anandani brings 30 years of experience across sales, marketing, general management and leadership roles. He joins Colgate-Palmolive India from Kenvue, where he was Managing Director for India and South Asia.
His experience includes enterprise strategy, digital and e-commerce transformation and market expansion. Anandani previously spent 13 years with Colgate-Palmolive, from 2005 to 2018, holding leadership roles across India, Indochina and the corporate office. He subsequently served as Worldwide Director in Global Customer Development.
The leadership transition comes as Colgate-Palmolive India continues to focus on premiumisation and higher-value growth in oral care. The company has also identified e-commerce and quick commerce as important growth channels, with the e-commerce business delivering high double-digit topline growth. More than 50% of e-commerce sales come from premium products, while gross margins on the channel are around 400 basis points higher than the company's overall average.
The company is also marking 90 years of operations in India, with its growth strategy centred on premium products, category development, digital commerce and operational efficiencies.
