'Real Roles, Real Consequences': Harsh Mariwala on Empowering Young Talent at Marico

Harsh Mariwala, Chairman of Marico, attributes the company's success to empowering young employees with significant responsibilities early in their careers.

Harsh Mariwala, the man behind Marico's rise from a modest family-run business to a multi-billion-dollar FMCG giant, has always believed in doing things differently. And one of his boldest bets? Trusting young people with real responsibility — right from the start.

In a deeply personal reflection, the Marico Chairman recalled a defining moment from the early days of building the company: “I made a decision that shaped everything that followed. I gave young people serious responsibility. Not after years of proving themselves. Right at the start. Real roles. Real ownership. Real consequences.”

It was a move that raised eyebrows — and, at times, came with setbacks. But Mariwala said the rewards far outweighed the risks.

“Some of them made mistakes. That was expected. But they learned fast. They asked for feedback. They iterated. They took initiative,” he said. Many of those same young hires, he added, went on to become some of Marico’s strongest leaders.

For Mariwala, mistakes weren’t deal-breakers — hiding from them was.

“If someone makes an error, but they take ownership, improve, and don’t repeat it, they’ve earned the right to grow,” he said. “But if someone avoids responsibility or hides from mistakes, they’re not ready.”

At the heart of his leadership style is a belief that true empowerment has nothing to do with job titles or designations. “Empowerment is about giving people the room to fail safely — and the support to recover intelligently,” he said.

In an era where many companies still operate with top-down control, Mariwala’s philosophy stands out. “You can’t build a high-performance organisation if every decision needs your approval,” he said. “The real test of leadership isn’t how well you control outcomes. It’s how confidently you let others lead.”