How technology meets consumer needs

Our home was frequently bustling with guests—it was an era before ‘digital’ had made inroads and grocery shopping was done in person. My mother would often ask me to dash to Raju ki dukaan (Raju’s shop), our portly neighbourhood kiraanawala, to fetch Milkmaid. Raju bhaiya, with his toothless smile, would hand me a tin and I would race home.

My mother would whisk up Anarsa (a Bihari dessert), which my two sisters and I would eagerly devour in minutes, often before our guests had a chance to take their first bites. We would then sneak into the kitchen, dunk our fingers into the Milkmaid tin and lick it up when no one was watching.

Over the years, I witnessed the brand’s packaging evolve from an iconic white tin to a decidedly blue can, and now even a modern re-sealable pouch—a reflection of how different generations of India experience that same emotion of eating its condensed milk. Today, this same brand is ordered via quick commerce by my son whenever he returns from the US to make sinfully delicious Vietnamese cups of coffee dolloped with a layer of “Milkmaid” for us.

That small-town boy with big dreams in Jamshedpur had no idea that one day he would be responsible for Nestlé India, the company that makes Milkmaid.

We must catch dreams and shape trends: India’s vast labyrinth of consumers can be as different as chalk and cheese, yet like peas in a pod. This duality can leave companies wrestling with new challenges and ideas, and bewildered by the rapid changes that the great Indian marketplace coughs up.

According to a recent report by Numerator, rural India’s contribution to premium FMCG volumes has grown sharply. Aspirational consumers are on the rise. From the bustling streets of urban India to emerging semi-urban markets and the relative tranquillity of rural Bharat, taste preferences are embracing a repertoire of foods and flavours that are simultaneously traditional, local, fusion and international—spicy noodles for the youth and individually-formulated coffee flavours for North and South India.

In their journey, our brands require the speed of a sprinter and the endurance of a marathoner. As consumers evolve, technology advances and brands adapt, food and beverage companies must invest in themselves to stay future-ready and thrive in flux.

Leverage the tech edge: Consumer centricity is at the core of all the organizations that I have worked for. This means we must run the proverbial extra mile for ‘consumer satisfaction.’ Today, cutting-edge technology and data-driven insights help brands anticipate consumer preferences with greater precision, leading to faster innovations. Hands off the wheel, touchless forecasting, interconnected planning and automated replenishment are the new normal.

With automation ruling the roost, platforms like Nestlé’s Multi-Intelligence Data Analytics System (Midas) are essential. It analyses geographical and demographic data and provides real-time performance insights that accelerate decisions and field planning.

In my recent market visit to Thrissur, Kerala, I met Manoj Radhakrishnan, a dashing regional sales manager. He excitedly explained that he logs on to Midas at 7am daily. Within minutes, he has a comprehensive understanding of the category, brand and pack performance, a task that previously consumed 20% of his time. Geo-analytics now allows him to precisely pinpoint cities, towns and pin codes for what and where to sell.

With the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), we transitioned from information-based platforms to predictive ones. This efficiency simplifies operations. Sales teams now focus on what truly matters: understanding consumer needs, grasping how markets work and building relationships with distributors and retailers.

In Notun Jabari, a tiny village with a population of over 2,000, I met Firubi, our first woman area sales manager in the East, and Dhrubojyoti, who runs a wholesale hub in rural Assam. Our hubs in semi-urban and rural markets use NesMitra (Nestlé’s retailer self-ordering mobile application) to place orders conveniently. This streamlines our route to the market. With tech adoption on the rise, our brands are accessible in deep interior villages and challenging terrains.

When technology complements human direction, it empowers people to focus on being better, bolder and faster. It is essential to embrace an upskilling and digital-first mindset. As an ally, AI frees people from the shackles of ‘busy work.’ Instead of running amok, they run with purpose—focusing on what matters most to consumers, delivering the best products and experiences.

Who knew that my beloved Milkmaid, which has moved from Raju bhaiya’s shop to the evolving world of dark stores, analytics and AI-led efficiencies would still deliver that same delightful taste as it did back in 1912, when it was first introduced in India?

The author is chairman and managing director, Nestlé India.