Women Leaders Redefining the Indian F&B Industry

By: Rachita Sharma, Managing Editor | Wednesday, 1 March 2023

The Food & Beverages industry is one of the most lucrative sectors across the globe. With time the F&B industry has evolved to align with the need of the hour and the pulse of the consumers. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic played a crucial role in altering and amplifying certain industry trends in the F&B sector.

According to the ‘Food And Beverages Global Market Report 2022’ report by Research And Markets, the global F&B market is expected to grow from $5,817.4 billion in 2021 to $6,383.49 billion in 2022. The industry will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7 percent. It is anticipated that the market will grow to $8,905.5 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7 percent.

Looking back at 2021, we see that Asia Pacific was the largest region in the food and beverages market followed by Western Europe.

A traditionally male dominated sector, the F&B industry is gradually witnessing various women leaders foraying into its different sectors. The current edition of Women Entrepreneur India introduces you to a few such prolific women leaders from India.

Adorning the cover we have Maanasa S., Marketing Director, Aberdeen India (an expert in international FMCG trade, with a particular focus on the importation and distribution of confectionery, snacks, and healthcare brands). Maanasa is a marketing enthusiast with experience in a variety of industries. She has demonstrated history of success in Trend Analysis, Marketing, Brand Management, Advertising, & beyond. Joining Maanasa is Nivedita Data, Managing Director, Babus Laxminarayan Best Chiwda. Nivedita Data, who serves as the Managing Director of Babus Laxminarayan Best Chiwda and is part of the fourth generation of her family to operate the business, has the most up-to-date information and ideas. The issue also features Shrutika Shridhar, Co-Founder, India Fish Co. Shrutika has a degree in Law and is the Co-Founder of India Fish. She brings to the table her open mindedness and research-oriented attitude which enables her to venture into and explore the industry which has a lot to offer. Another young leader featured in the issue is Bhavika Agarwal, Partner, Sincere Packaged Drinking Water & Soda. At just 20, Bhavika stepped into the fast-paced business world of the food and beverage industry. Founded by her father, B.D. Agarwal, Sincere is a leading player in the packaged drinking water market in India.

Lastyly we have Vandana Gupta, Head of Strategy, Unibourne Food Ingredients who is an accomplished food technologist with a strong educational background in the field. She holds a Bachelor's degree from Delhi University, a Master's in food technology from CFTR Mysore, and a Master's in food biotechnology from the University of Manchester. Vandana has spent over 18 years in the food industry, working for some of the top names in the field, including Cargill India, Unicolloids, and Kanegrade.

We hope reading about these successful women leaders from the Indian F&B industry motivates our readers to aim for the stars as well.

Do let us know your thoughts.