Business Development Manager will be responsible for building the market from zeroincluding developing the route-to-market, securing distributor partnerships, establishing Modern Trade (MT) and General Trade (GT) presence, and driving the launch strategy. This role requires strong market-building capability, commercial acumen, and hands-on execution.
Key Responsibilities
1. Market Entry & Strategy Development
- Conduct market mapping to identify opportunities in GT, MT, e-commerce, and HORECA channels.
- Develop India market entry strategy including pricing, assortment prioritization etc
- Analyze competitive landscape, consumer behavior, and category trends.
2. Distributor Search & Onboarding
- Identify and evaluate potential distributors across regions.
- Lead negotiations, due diligence, and contracting.
- Ensure distributors meet company standards on reach, capability, and performance KPIs.
- Develop RTM (Route-to-Market) blueprint and coverage expansion plan.
3. Commercial Execution
- Drive listing and product placement in key MT accounts and top retailers.
- Set sales targets and manage sell-in, sell-out, and inventory health.
- Manage trade marketing programs, promotions, and visibility initiatives.
- Build relationships with key accounts, retailers, and partners.
4. Brand Launch & Activation Support
- Work closely with Marketing on launch campaigns and sampling activities.
- Provide market feedback to optimize product, pricing, and communication.
- Ensure consistent brand presence aligned with Company identity and values.
5. Compliance & Operations Coordination
- Liaise with logistics partners for importation, warehousing, and distribution.
- Ensure compliance with FSSAI and relevant Indian food regulations.
6. Market Reporting & Insights
- Prepare weekly performance dashboards and insights for leadership.
- Track competitor activities, pricing, promotions, and innovations.
- Recommend commercial actions to accelerate growth.
Qualifications
- > 8 years of Business Development / Sales experience in FMCG (beverage, dairy, snacks, or premium categories preferred).
- Proven track record in building or scaling markets, especially new country or new category launches.
- Strong network with distributors, MT accounts, and retail partners in India.
- Deep understanding of India RTM models, distributor management, and trade dynamics.
- Strong negotiation, commercial planning, and analytical skills.
- Entrepreneurial mindset: hands-on, problem-solver, able to operate with limited structure.
