Aasif Malbari: The new chief at Godrej Consumer Products

Aasif Malbari’s appointment as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) comes after nearly three decades across Hindustan Unilever, Tata Motors and GCPL. 

In his previous roles, he was in leadership roles across finance, business operations and transformation. The move puts a finance and business leader with experience across FMCG, automotive and electric mobility at the helm of one of India’s major consumer goods companies.

A Chartered Accountant and Company Secretary, Malbari secured All India Rank 1 in both the CA Intermediate and Final examinations of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, earning gold medalist status. A graduate of Sydenham College, University of Mumbai, he began his professional career with PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he worked in auditing and financial controls before moving into the corporate sector.

Malbari spent more than 17 years at Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), working across a range of finance and business roles. His positions included Group Finance Controller, Head of Investor Relations, Finance Director for the Global Dressings Business, Head of Finance for Foods across Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Head of Supply Chain Finance and Head of the Global Treasury Centre.

The roles gave him exposure to several parts of the business, including business partnering, buying, planning and logistics, controllership, treasury, investor relations and group performance management. His experience at HUL also covered multiple geographies and business segments, giving him a broad view of FMCG operations and financial management.

In 2018, Malbari moved to Tata Motors, joining its leadership team. He took on roles including Vice President of Finance for the passenger vehicle business and Vice President Finance & Group Controller for the Tata Motors Jaguar Land Rover Group. His responsibilities included financial reporting, controls, taxation and performance management across complex global operations.

He later became Chief Financial Officer of Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited and Director at Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited. During this period, the passenger vehicle India business scaled approximately five times in three years, reaching peak revenues of around ₹50,000 crore and undergoing a significant financial turnaround.

Malbari was also involved in the reorganisation of the business into distinct legal entities and led a $1 billion fundraising for the electric vehicle business, which was valued at up to $9.1 billion. The Tata Motors stint added experience in capital raising, business restructuring and managing growth in a capital-intensive sector to his earlier FMCG background.

Malbari joined GCPL as Chief Financial Officer effective August 10, 2023. He was later elevated to Global Chief Financial Officer and President of Godrej Africa, the Middle East, and GCPL International operations. In these roles, he worked on the company’s financial strategy and business performance across markets.

His work in the Africa business became a significant part of his GCPL experience. As President, he oversaw the expansion of the unit’s margin-accretive FMCG portfolio, including the launch of the air care category, while continuing to build the legacy hair fashion business. EBITDA margins increased from approximately 9% in FY24 to around 15% in FY26. The Africa, USA and Middle East cluster was also named GCPL’s Best Business Unit for FY26.

His time as Global CFO also gave him a wider view of GCPL’s operations and strategy. 

As Managing Director and CEO, Malbari will also serve on the Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment, Social & Governance, and Management committees. He will continue as a member of the Risk Management Committee.

His appointment comes as GCPL continues to report growth across its markets. In FY26, the company reported consolidated revenue from operations of ₹15,177.90 crore, compared with ₹13,996.54 crore in FY25. It recorded 9% year-on-year sales growth and 6% underlying volume growth. GCPL’s business spans India, Indonesia, Africa, the US and the Middle East.

Malbari’s career has moved through finance-heavy roles into broader business leadership, taking him from HUL’s FMCG operations to Tata Motors’ passenger vehicle and electric mobility businesses and then back to consumer goods at GCPL. His new role brings together those experiences as he takes over the company’s top executive position from Sitapati.