India’s Best CEOs 2025: Sanjiv Puri is Building ITC into a Future-ready Conglomerate

A MEETING WITH ITC chairman and MD Sanjiv Puri, invariably turns into a gastronomical experience. The coffee table at his tastefully done up office is laden with goodies — from steamed momos, spring rolls, and sabudana vadas to freshly baked cookies, cakes, and chocolates, one is clearly spoilt for choice. “Have you tried this?” he asks, pointing at a packet of Sunfeast Baked Creations, ITC’s recent launch. “These cookies are freshly baked and have a shorter shelf life,” he explains. Next, Puri opens a packet of Right Shift namkeen made out of millets. This brand caters to the 45-plus consumer cohort, he says.

As Puri sinks into his couch with a double shot espresso, he points at a food-delivery app on his phone that has ITC Master Chef Creations, ITC Aashirvaad Soul Creations and ITC Sunfeast Baked Creations listed. “These are our cloud kitchens,” he proudly says. “We launched in Bengaluru during the Covid-19 pandemic and today we have 66 kitchens across Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, and Pune. Our repeat customers are high, and the kitchens are able to achieve break-even and good level of profitability,” he adds.