Marico’s Saugata Gupta conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award at IMA 2025

Saugata Gupta, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer at Marico, was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 12th edition of the Indian Marketing Awards (IMA) held on February 11 in Mumbai. The honour recognised his long-standing contribution to brand building, business transformation and marketing leadership. The award celebrates Gupta’s role in steering Marico’s growth journey, strengthening its portfolio and shaping modern marketing practices in India’s fast-evolving consumer landscape.

Saugata Gupta is a leader whose journey has helped shape one of India’s most respected and future-ready consumer companies. He joined Marico in 2004, at a time when the company was poised for transformation. What followed over the next two decades was not just growth, but reinvention. From leading Marico’s India business to taking on the role of Managing Director in 2014, Gupta has been at the heart of the company’s most defining strategic shifts - reshaping portfolios, unlocking new categories, strengthening the core, and building a sharper, more digitally attuned consumer organisation.

Saugata Gupta credits Piyush Pandey, Sam Balsara & Prasoon Joshi for inspiring him.

With over 34 years of experience across consumer and retail-led businesses, Gupta brings together deep expertise in sales, marketing, and enterprise leadership. A marketer by training, he has played a defining role in building iconic brands such as Parachute and Saffola, driving their evolution through consumer-centric innovation, bold positioning, and contemporary communication.

Prior to Marico, his experience included leading large-scale marketing initiatives at Mondelez, where he spearheaded high-impact campaigns that strengthened brand equity and accelerated growth. His leadership style blends strategic discipline with a deep understanding of people, culture, and consumers, enabling Marico to remain resilient, relevant, and purpose-led in a continuously changing marketplace

The Indian Marketing Awards, now in its 12th year, continues to recognise and honour excellence. The awards bring together leading marketers, agencies and industry stakeholders, serving as both recognition and reflection of changing marketing practices.