SLMG Beverages Appoints Lagan Shastri as CEO Amid Global Expansion Plans

SLMG Beverages has appointed Lagan Shastri as its Chief Executive Officer, effective August 10, 2026, marking a significant step in the company’s next phase of strategic growth and global expansion. The Coca-Cola bottling partner aims to strengthen its market position while investing in manufacturing, digital capabilities, supply chain infrastructure and people.

Shastri brings nearly three decades of experience across the beverages, FMCG and consumer products sectors. He spent more than two decades with Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, progressing through leadership roles across sales, marketing, commercial profit centre management and strategy. He later became Executive Director – Market Operations, overseeing end-to-end market operations and co-leading the company’s strategy alongside its CEO.

In 2020, Shastri joined DFM Foods as Managing Director and CEO, where he led the transformation of the listed, private equity-backed company into a professionally managed and performance-oriented organisation. He subsequently worked as Strategic Advisor at Reliance Consumer Products, advising on commercial strategy and enterprise-level execution across its expanding consumer portfolio.

At SLMG Beverages, Shastri will oversee the company’s market strategy, digital capabilities, manufacturing operations, supply chain and customer partnerships. His extensive experience within the Coca-Cola ecosystem, combined with his background as a public-company CEO and consumer-sector advisor, positions him to lead the organisation through its next stage of expansion.

SLMG Beverages has outlined an ambitious long-term vision of building a US$10 billion enterprise and becoming one of the Top 10 global Coca-Cola bottlers. The company plans to accelerate investments in its workforce, manufacturing infrastructure, supply chain capabilities and digital systems as it pursues this goal.

Shastri’s appointment therefore comes at a strategically important stage for SLMG Beverages, combining deep industry experience with a broader mandate to drive growth, innovation and operational excellence. The leadership transition underscores the company’s ambition to build a larger, more agile and globally recognised beverage business from India.