The Morning Brief Corner office Conversation with T Krishnakumar, Director of Reliance Consumer Products
Feb 16, 2026
T Krishnakumar, a 40-year FMCG veteran who built Reliance Consumer Products' affordable-mass-market play, discusses targeting India’s 500–600 million middle-class shoppers. He talks startup agility inside a conglomerate. He outlines resurrecting heritage brands, national rollouts, AI-powered food parks, de-seasonalizing beverages, and plans for global pilots in the next few years.
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Affordability Is A Calculated Position
- Affordability is defined relative to what the average Indian middle-class consumer can buy, not as simply low price.
- RCPL vets products against multiple inflation scenarios and built separate capabilities over 18–24 months to sustain pricing.
Why Regional Brands Resurged
- Regional brands surged by addressing post-COVID affordability gaps that large companies missed.
- Their main limits are scaling costs and inability to invest in national marketing.
Buy Smart, Invest In Scale
- Acquire heritage mid-size brands with residual value but avoid overpaying for them.
- Invest mainly in scaling and contemporizing the brand rather than in expensive acquisition premiums.