Sanjiv Mehta pitches 'humbition' as the recipe for brands that outlast fleeting trends
Speaking at ET BWS 2026, the ex-HUL chief and now L Catterton figure argues durable brands are built on emotional depth, consistency and treating India as a layered, multi-market consumer landscape rather than a uniform whole.
What happened
At ET BWS 2026, Sanjiv Mehta (ex-HUL, now L Catterton) discusses 'humbition'—balancing ambition with humility—and building durable brands via emotional depth,
Why this matters
Target consumer brands with proven emotional equity and multi-market India relevance, as these attributes underpin lasting value beyond fleeting trends.
What to watch
- Ad-spend mix data showing shift from performance to brand marketing
- New regional/tier-specific campaign launches citing multi-market India logic
- L Catterton deal or fund activity signaling durable-brand thesis in capital allocation
- Competing veteran leaders publicly endorsing or rebutting the framing
- Watch L Catterton portfolio companies for brand-equity investment or repositioning announcements
- Track FMCG majors (HUL, ITC, Nestle India) commentary on brand-building vs performance spend in earnings calls
- Monitor agency/consultancy content adopting 'humbition' and layered-India segmentation frameworks
- Assess whether trend-driven D2C brands publicly pivot toward long-horizon equity narratives
Also reported by
- ET Brand Equity — Same time