“Consumers may become wary of discretionary spends”: Sanjiv Mehta, HUL

In a detailed conversation with edutech startup upGrad, Sanjiv Mehta discusses a changing world in the face of the rapidly spreading Coronavirus.

It’s no secret that the way we work is going to change forever, thanks to the rapidly spreading Coronavirus. This was the main topic of discussion in a session hosted by upGrad, which featured a talk by Sanjiv Mehta, chairman and managing director, Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL). The talk followed a question-answer format with Mehta - who is also president, HUL, South Asia, and is a member of the Unilever Leadership Executive. One of upGrad’s founders - Ronnie Screwvala mentions, in an introductory note, that Unilever, when he was growing up, was a company that had mapped its consumers and their thinking in rural and urban areas, clearly. The only difference now, Screwvala said, was the depth of Unilever’s penetration into these markets. Mehta has been with Unilever for 26 years and, during the last 17 years, has led businesses in different parts of the world.

Here’s some edited takeaways from the conversation:

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Watch the full seminar below.