The Lesson Sangamner Taught Him
When Harshvardhan Malpani returned to Sangamner in 2018 with an Industrial Engineering degree from the United States, he carried the quiet confidence of someone ready to modernize a family enterprise. The plan was straightforward: bring global best practices, streamline operations, and introduce efficiencies the business had never seen.
Then he walked onto the factory floor
Shadowing process owners across sub-departments — inward logistics, quality control, material movement — he found something unexpected. Every process was documented. Every workflow was mapped. The Group wasn’t just running on legacy intuition; it had built an in-house ERP system long before most Indian businesses had even heard the term. And at that exact moment, the organization was in the middle of implementing SAP.
“I thought I was coming back to teach,” Harsh reflects. “Instead, I had to learn.”
That realization became the cornerstone of his leadership philosophy. Rather than imposing change from the top, he spent months shadowing teams, understanding decades of institutional knowledge, and applying his engineering training not to replace systems, but to refine them. He contributed to process mapping and user training for the Namkeen plant, working alongside people who had been perfecting their craft for years.
It was humbling. And it was transformative.
The lesson was simple but profound: progress is not imposed. It is co-created.
Five Generations, One Evolving Vision
Harshvardhan Malpani is the fifth-generation leader of the Malpani Group, a century-old conglomerate that began with tobacco trading and has grown into a diversified powerhouse spanning FMCG, renewable energy, amusement parks, real estate, education, and investments. With operations across eight Indian states and international footprints in Dubai, the Group generates significant economic value while staying deeply rooted in Sangamner, Maharashtra — the town that shaped its identity.
Since joining as Director in 2018, Harsh has played an active role in enterprise-wide strategy while directly driving three key verticals: FMCG, Renewable Energy, and Investments. His approach blends respect for legacy with an unrelenting focus on innovation, sustainability, and community impact.
But unlike many next-gen leaders who inherit businesses and immediately rebrand or restructure, Harsh chose a different path. He embedded himself in the organization first. He listened. He learned the sophistication that previous generations had built — not from textbooks, but from decades of trial, error, and discipline.
And only then did he begin to lead.
- 2018 – Joined as Director, began shadowing operations across verticals
- 2020 – Strengthened SAP-led enterprise systems and restructured head office functions (IT, HR, Accounts)
- 2021-2023 – Automated and modernized supporting structures across departments, built digital infrastructure
- 2023 – Established Financial Executive Board to create a centre of excellence for accounting projects
- 2025 – Co-founded YES Club (Young Entrepreneurs Social Club) in Sangamner, leading AI-driven business intelligence initiatives and positioning Nexen Power as a new-age IPP renewable energy platform
The Philosophy: Win-Win-Win
The Malpani Group has always operated on a principle that goes beyond conventional business logic: create value at every level. For the company. For the partner. For society.
Harsh calls this the Win-Win-Win model, and it shapes every decision across the Group’s businesses.
When floods devastated parts of Maharashtra, the Group didn’t wait for government aid or CSR cycles. They provided ₹2,000 starter kits to hundreds of rural kirana dealers at no cost, helping them rebuild their businesses overnight. When negotiating partnerships — whether in FMCG distribution, renewable energy offtake agreements, or entertainment ventures — the Group insists on transparency, long-term thinking, and mutual respect.
“A company succeeds when the owner works like an employee, and the employee feels like an owner,” Harsh says. It’s not a slogan. It’s embedded in the culture. Directors participate in ongoing training programs alongside entry-level teams. Employees across 17 departments undergo regular skill development, seminars, and workshops. Hierarchy exists, but shared responsibility defines the work.
This people-first approach has created an ecosystem defined by stability, loyalty, and long- term value creation. Employees don’t just work for the Malpani Group. They grow with it.
The Business Builder: FMCG, Renewable Energy, and Beyond
Harsh’s leadership is most visible in three areas where he plays the most active and deliberate role:
FMCG: Deepening Roots, Expanding Horizons
The Group’s FMCG business — anchored by the 75-year-old Gai Chapp brand — has been a cornerstone of the conglomerate. Under Harsh’s direction, the focus is on strengthening core categories like tobacco, tea, and mouth fresheners, while strategically expanding into high-growth segments like coffee and beverages.
And here’s where partnership becomes personal.
Harsh’s wife, Ishita Malpani, is leading the next phase of the Group’s tea business, driving brand expansion and exploring new product lines. Together, they’re building the FMCG portfolio not just as business leaders, but as a team — supporting each other professionally and personally, testing ideas, refining strategies, and taking calculated risks.
“We’re exploring new avenues in FMCG together,” Harsh says. “It’s not about dividing responsibilities. It’s about combining strengths.”
New product categories are in development, including razors and soaps. Mobile apps are being rolled out to empower the sales fleet with real-time data and customer insights. The goal is clear: take a 75-year legacy and make it relevant for the next 75.
Nexen Power: Building a New-Age IPP Platform
If FMCG represents the Group’s legacy strength, Nexen Power represents Harsh’s vision for the future.
Currently operating 584+ MW of renewable energy assets across eight Indian states, Nexen Power is being transformed from a division within the Malpani Group into an independent, new-age Independent Power Producer (IPP) platform. The ambition is bold: scale to multi-
gigawatt capacity through strategic partnerships, acquisitions, and innovative financing structures.
Harsh is leading this transformation personally. He’s building relationships with industry veterans, evaluating green energy fund investments, and structuring frameworks that blend asset ownership with cutting-edge execution. The vision is to create a platform that doesn’t just generate power, but redefines how renewable energy assets are built, financed, and scaled in India.
“We’re not just adding megawatts,” Harsh explains. “We’re building a platform that can move fast, partner strategically, and create long-term value for all stakeholders.”
Solar-plus-battery storage projects are being evaluated. Collaborations with steel plants and industrial offtakers are in advanced discussions. And through it all, Nexen is positioning itself as a new-age IPP — agile, partnership-driven, and future-ready.
Investments: Building a Global Portfolio
Through the family office, Harsh is also building a diversified investment portfolio spanning domestic and international opportunities. The focus is on high-growth sectors, strategic minority stakes, and long-term capital appreciation.
But investments aren’t treated as financial instruments. They’re treated as partnerships. Due diligence is rigorous. Relationships are built on trust. And every decision is evaluated through the lens of alignment, integrity, and shared vision.
- FMCG – 75 years of the Gai Chapp brand + new product launches (coffee, razors, soaps)
- Amusement Parks – 8 parks across India
- Entertainment – Dave & Buster’s India (Group collaboration)
- Education – Dhruv Global School in India and Dubai
- Real Estate – Residential projects and Dubai development pipeline
- Renewable Energy – Nexen Power IPP platform (584+ MW operating, multi-GW expansion underway)
- Family Office – High-growth investment portfolio across sectors and geographies
Technology as an Enabler, Not a Starting Point
The business world is obsessed with AI. Every pitch deck mentions machine learning. Every strategy presentation includes a slide on automation.
Harsh’s perspective is refreshingly grounded.
“Technology should serve as an enabler, not the starting point,” he says. “Entrepreneurs must first understand the problem they’re solving before adopting any tool.”
Within the Malpani Group, this philosophy plays out in practice. The organization uses SAP S/4HANA for end-to-end business operations. But beyond enterprise systems, the Group has developed custom-built solutions where commercial software couldn’t meet specific needs:
- Malpani Saleswift — an in-house sales platform built under Harsh’s guidance
- Malpani Oasis — proprietary logistics software for supply chain visibility
- Custom school management software — tailored for Dhruv Global School operations
An AI layer is being built to enable real-time data conversations, eliminating manual analysis and accelerating decision-making across teams.
But none of this is about hype. It’s about solving real problems.
“WhatsApp-based workflows, automation, AI — use them where they genuinely create value,” Harsh says. “But don’t let technology drive the strategy. Let the strategy drive the technology.”
He’s also candid about India’s readiness for advanced AI systems. “Many organizations still need to strengthen their data foundations before fully embracing AI,” he notes. “Innovation must stay rooted in business fundamentals, not hype.”
The Unsexy Work That Scales: Modernizing the Backbone
While many next-gen leaders chase high-profile ventures and headline-grabbing partnerships, Harsh invested significant energy in something far less glamorous but infinitely more impactful: restructuring the head office functions.
IT. HR. Accounts.
These are the often-overlooked supporting functions that determine whether a business can actually scale. And Harsh knew that without modernizing these core systems, no amount of strategic vision would translate into execution.
He rebuilt IT infrastructure, moving the organization from legacy systems to integrated digital platforms. He restructured HR processes, introducing performance management frameworks across 17 departments and building training programs that aligned with the Group’s growth ambitions. He automated accounting workflows, reducing manual effort and increasing accuracy across financial operations.
But Harsh didn’t stop at systems. He built professional governance structures that created centers of excellence across the organization.
In 2023, he established the Financial Executive Board — a cross-functional body designed to elevate accounting from a compliance function to a strategic capability. The Board drives accounting projects, develops inter-departmental coordination, and ensures financial data flows seamlessly across all business units. It’s not just about closing books faster. It’s about creating institutional knowledge that survives leadership transitions.
And then came the custom software.
Under Harsh’s guidance, the Group developed two proprietary platforms:
- Malpani Saleswift — an in-house sales platform that arms the field force with real-time inventory data, customer histories, and order processing workflows. No more phone calls to the head office. No more manual forms. Just speed.
- Malpani Oasis — a logistics software that tracks material movement, optimizes routing, and integrates with SAP to give complete visibility across the supply chain.
“Everyone wants to launch new products or enter new markets,” Harsh says. “But if your back-office systems can’t support scale, growth becomes chaos.”
This wasn’t glamorous work. It required patience, attention to detail, and the willingness to spend months in the weeds of process mapping, system integration, and change management. But it created the operational foundation that allows the Malpani Group to move fast without breaking.
It’s the kind of work that doesn’t make headlines. But it’s the kind of work that builds enduring enterprises.
The Community Builder: Sangamner First
Even as the Malpani Group expands globally — Dubai real estate, international investments, multi-state renewable energy assets — Harsh remains deeply committed to Sangamner.
He echoes Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s PURA philosophy: bring urban opportunities to rural environments. Let growth be inclusive, not extractive.
This commitment led him to co-found the Young Entrepreneurs Social Club (YES Club) in Sangamner in 2025. More than a networking forum, YES Club is a structured platform for local business owners to connect, learn, and collaborate. Harsh designed the legal structure, assigned committee roles, and built a membership framework that encourages ecosystem-building rather than transactional relationships.
“As the Malpani Group grows on larger stages, Sangamner grows with it,”
Harshvardhan Malpani
It’s not charity. It’s a strategy. Strengthening the local entrepreneurial ecosystem creates better suppliers, more skilled talent, and a stronger community — all of which feed back into the Group’s long-term success.
- Dealers Helped During Floods – Hundreds (₹2,000 starter kits provided at no cost)
- Years of Relationship with Rural Distributors – 75 years
- Head Office Functions Modernized – IT, HR, Accounts (restructured and automated)
- Custom Software Built – Malpani Saleswift (sales platform), Malpani Oasis (logistics software)
- Professional Boards Established – Financial Executive Board (2023)
- Family Office Investments – Domestic & international, multi-sector exposure
The Road Ahead: Multi-Sector, Multi-Decade Growth
Harsh outlines a bold, multi-sector roadmap for the next decade:
FMCG: Strengthening Core, Expanding Categories
- Deepening market penetration for tobacco, tea, and mouth fresheners
- Expanding into coffee and beverages with aggressive distribution strategies
- Launching new product lines (razors, soaps) with modern branding
- Building digital infrastructure for sales teams (mobile apps, real-time analytics)
- Ishita Malpani is driving the tea brand’s next phase of expansion.
Nexen Power: Scaling to Multi-Gigawatt Capacity
- Transforming Nexen into an independent, new-age IPP platform
- Strategic partnerships with industry veterans and institutional investors
- Green energy fund investments to accelerate portfolio expansion
- Solar-plus-battery storage projects and industrial offtake agreements
- Target: Multi-gigawatt capacity across diversified renewable assets
Entertainment & Leisure: Expanding Experiences
- Group-led entertainment collaborations, including Dave & Buster’s in India
- New amusement park projects in metro cities
- Strengthening the existing 8-park portfolio with experience upgrades
Global Expansion: Education, Real Estate, Investments
- Dhruv Global School’s Dubai expansion
- UAE real estate projects in advanced planning
- Family office building a diversified global portfolio for long-term value.
The vision is clear: build businesses that are profitable, sustainable, and future-ready. Scale with speed, but never at the cost of values. Grow globally, but stay rooted in Sangamner.
To the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
As I reflect on my journey building and scaling the Malpani Group, I want to share a few insights that have guided me.
Stay humble, but keep an open mind. Opportunities are abundant, and knowledge is everywhere. Absorb it, filter what is useful, and focus on a few meaningful pursuits at a time. It’s perfectly fine not to have all the answers in your 20s or 30s. Experiment, learn, and refine as you go.
Leverage relationships. Reach out, seek guidance, and don’t hesitate to ask for help. Many are willing to support you if you only ask. Use tools like LinkedIn and Instagram not just to grow your personal brand, but to scale your business and create opportunities for others.
Stay curious. Let curiosity drive exploration, learning, and innovation. This mindset has been central to my growth, and I trust it can guide the next generation of leaders striving to make an impact.
But here’s the most important lesson I’ve learned: You don’t earn the right to lead by having a title. You earn it by listening, by learning, and by showing up every day with humility and conviction.
When I returned to Sangamner in 2018, I thought I was ready to lead. Instead, I spent my first year learning. And that year shaped everything that came after.
Progress is not imposed. It is co-created.
With conviction and gratitude, Harshvardhan Malpani, Director, Malpani Group
5 Key Takeaways
- Harshvardhan blends legacy wisdom with modern innovation to build future-ready businesses.
- His people-first philosophy fosters a culture of trust, integrity, and shared ownership.
- He uses technology as an enabler, strengthening clarity and decision-making across the Group.
- His Win-Win-Win approach drives partnerships that create value for the company, partners, and society.
- He is leading bold multi-sector expansion across FMCG, renewable energy, and global investments.
