After nearly a decade of steering Pidilite Industries as Managing Director, Bharat Puri will soon transition to a Non-Executive and Non-Independent Director role, effective April 10, 2025.
This move, part of a broader leadership shuffle at the Fevicol-maker, comes as Sudhanshu Vats is appointed Managing Director and Kavinder Singh steps in as Joint MD.
But for those who’ve followed Puri’s journey, this isn’t just a corporate transition—it marks the turning of a chapter in the story of one of India’s finest brand custodians.
An IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, Bharat Puri’s career reads like a blueprint for modern marketing success. From his early days at Asian Paints in 1982 to transformative stints at Cadbury and Mondelez, he has consistently demonstrated what it takes to not just build brands, but to build brands that last.
He joined Pidilite’s board as an Independent Director in 2008 and took over as MD in 2015. Under his leadership, the company saw steady growth and solidified its reputation as a consumer brand powerhouse.
Puri’s professional milestones are impressive, but what sets him apart is his knack for crisis management and intuitive grasp of consumer behaviour.
One of the most defining moments of his career came during the infamous 2003 worm controversy at Cadbury. Rather than duck the crisis, Puri faced it head-on—with transparency, rapid decision-making, and an iconic campaign featuring Amitabh Bachchan that not only regained public trust but also set new benchmarks in brand reputation management.
“Today, when I think back upon it, it was one of the greatest learning experiences,” Puri recalled in an interview with CNBC-TV18, recalling the turbulence. “That’s when you are tested and must decide not just what is expedient, but what is right.”
With over four decades in the industry, Puri has always believed that great brands begin and end with the consumer. “When people tell you that brands are tired and categories have matured, it’s usually the manager who is tired,” he often quips. For him, true insights go beyond surface-level observations—they are about deep consumer understanding.
Take 5 Star, for instance. When the chocolate brand’s sales plateaued, it wasn’t a flashy rebrand that revived it. Instead, a deep-dive into consumer feedback uncovered a surprising truth: the product was sticking to people’s teeth.
The fix was simple—go back to the older formulation, pair it with punchy new campaigns like ‘Johnny Johnny’ and ‘Muh Mein Ghul Jaaye’, and the brand was back on top with a 20% sales jump in two years.
Or the birth of Cadbury Silk—an innovation born from a blind taste test between Indian and UK chocolates. Consumers sensed the difference, and Puri acted on it.
If his strategic nous built products, it was his reverence for creativity that gave them soul. His long-standing collaboration with advertising legend Piyush Pandey, beginning with Asian Paints and extending to Fevicol, is a testament to his belief in deep agency relationships. “Respect your creative partners,” he says. “Great agencies are made by great clients.”
For Puri, impactful communication is non-negotiable. “Before you read the lyrics, please listen to the song,” he says, urging marketers to stop checking boxes and start feeling the message.
Now as he steps into a new phase at Pidilite, Bharat Puri’s legacy is not just that of a business leader, but of a brand whisperer, a crisis conqueror, and a storyteller who reminded us all that the consumer is king—and insight is everything.