Tata Consumer Products Limited (TCPL) Chairman N. Chandrasekaran on Wednesday, 10 June said the global business environment is being fundamentally reshaped by geopolitical shifts, supply-chain realignments, energy transitions, rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI), and climate-related disruptions. Speaking at the company's annual general meeting (AGM) in New Delhi, Chandrasekaran outlined how TCPL is positioning itself to navigate this complexity while capitalising on India's expanding consumer market.

AI at the Core of TCPL's Strategy

Chandrasekaran said TCPL is deploying AI across multiple operational layers — from accelerating product development cycles and improving demand forecasting to tracking emerging consumer preferences and optimising supply chains. 'TCPL is leveraging AI across several areas of its operations, including accelerating product development cycles, improving demand forecasting, tracking emerging consumer preferences, optimising supply chains and driving innovation,' he told shareholders.

This push reflects a broader industry trend where companies are racing to embed AI into core operations to improve productivity and build resilience against external shocks. For TCPL, a company that has already navigated a significant transformation from a tea-and-salt business into a diversified fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) player, the AI investment signals the next phase of that evolution.

Global Macro Headwinds and India's Resilience

Chandrasekaran offered a mixed reading of the global macro environment. The year began on a constructive note, he said, with the India-European Union trade agreement and an interim India-US trade deal providing tailwinds. However, the outbreak of the West Asia conflict in early March raised fresh concerns about stagflation — the combination of slowing growth and rising inflation that is particularly difficult for central banks to address.

Despite these headwinds, Chandrasekaran expressed confidence in India's trajectory. 'India remains the fastest-growing major economy, led by its demographic strength, expanding digital infrastructure and rising aspirations. It continues to offer strong growth and a large market,' he said. This comes amid a broader global consensus that India is one of the few large economies where structural demand drivers remain intact.

Quick Commerce Crosses 35% of India Business

One of the sharper data points from the AGM: new-age sales channels, particularly quick commerce, now contribute more than 35% of TCPL's India business, according to the company. Chandrasekaran described this as a reflection of the rapid shift in Indian consumer behaviour driven by evolving lifestyles, new retail formats, and the rise of digital commerce.

Notably, he was careful to stress that traditional retail remains the backbone of TCPL's go-to-market strategy — a signal that the company is not abandoning its distribution depth even as it chases digital-first channels. The dual-channel approach is increasingly common among large FMCG players navigating India's fragmented retail landscape.

TCPL's Transformation and the Road Ahead

Chandrasekaran also reflected on TCPL's structural evolution, describing how the company has moved well beyond its origins as a tea-and-salt business into a broader FMCG portfolio. 'In response, companies across industries are focusing on building resilience, improving productivity and making trust-based decisions,' he said, framing TCPL's strategy within the wider corporate response to global uncertainty.

With quick commerce scaling fast, AI investments deepening, and India's consumption story intact despite global turbulence, TCPL's AGM signalled a company betting on execution discipline as its primary competitive edge in an unpredictable environment.