By Preetika Rana
NEW DELHI-Nestlé India Ltd., battling its worst-ever branding
crisis in the country, announced a new head for its local business
Friday.
The Indian arm of Nestlé SA said Suresh Narayanan, chief
executive of Nestlé's business in Philippines, would succeed
Etienne Benet as managing director, in a release to Indian stock
exchanges.
For Mr. Narayan, a company veteran, the announcement marks a
return to his home country, where he joined Nestlé in 1999. He has
since served as the head of sales for Nestlé in South Asia, as well
as led marketing efforts in North East Africa. Mr. Narayan will
assume office on Aug. 1, the company said.
The company said Mr. Benet would relocate to Switzerland but it
didn't say what his new role would be.
The company's sales have taken a beating in India after it was
forced to recall its bestselling product in the country, Maggi
2-Minute Noodles, last month. Indian food-safety regulators said
they found dangerously high levels of lead in the instant noodles,
an allegation Nestlé denies.
Nestlé has taken regulators to court and is currently
challenging a nationwide ban on the product. One in every five
dollars the company earns in India comes from the sale of Maggi
noodles.
Write to Preetika Rana at preetika.rana@wsj.com
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