Helping CPG Brands
Launch & Scale.

I work with founders and operators building consumer brands across the Middle East & India from strategy to scale.

Join Newsletter
A
R
S
D

Trusted by founders in Dubai, Riyadh, Mumbai, London & more

Madhavan Unni — CPG Brand Strategist

Worked with

10+ Brands

Markets

10+ Markets

Subscribe

An Open Letter to CPG Founders

The CPG Reality

As long as humanity exists, we will need food, clothing, and everyday essentials. CPG remains grounded in physical reality and tangibility. It's about what you can hold in your hands.

But to build something real, you must understand behavior. Margins and velocity matter, but so does figuring out exactly why someone picks your product over the 20 others sitting right next to it on the shelf.

AI will change how we work, forecast, and optimize.

But AI cannot be eaten. AI cannot be worn.

We don't build for clicks, vanity metrics, or fleeting hype. We build for repeat purchase, habit, trust, and the long game.

Welcome to CPG.

"If you understand shelves, you understand people. And if you understand people, you understand business."

Madhavan

Trusted by Global CPG Brands

Twinings
Dorset Cereals
Lamb Weston
Bateel International
Pure Harvest Smart Farms
Jomara Premium Organic Dates
Lumy
Twinings
Dorset Cereals
Lamb Weston
Bateel International
Pure Harvest Smart Farms
Jomara Premium Organic Dates
Lumy

I work best with founders who are ready to build global brands.

I bring strategic clarity for CPG founders who want to scale — not just brainstorm.

You're launching a CPG brand and want to cross 7-8 figures in revenue.

You're at $1M in revenue and want a structured path to $10M then $100M.

Services

What I Do

I bring strategic clarity for CPG brands that want to scale profitably.

01

Build the $10M to $100M Blueprint

A structured growth roadmap tailored to your brand, market, and channel mix.

02

Identify Category & Pricing Gaps

Spot where the market is underserved and where your pricing leaves money on the table.

03

Achieve Category Benchmark Gross Margins

Restructure your cost base and trade terms to hit industry-leading margins.

04

Scale Without Breaking Fundamentals

Grow distribution, velocity, and revenue without compromising brand equity.

Testimonials

What founders
are saying

Real feedback from founders and operators building CPG brands across the Middle East & India. These are the people in the trenches and this is what they have to say.

Working with Madhavan completely changed how we approached our brand in the coffee category. We weren't struggling with marketing — we were struggling with clarity. He broke down our pricing, positioning, and distribution in a way no agency ever did. Within weeks, we started seeing actual movement at retail.

A

Ahmed K.

Dubai

We had a good product but zero traction. Madhavan helped us understand why — and it wasn't what we expected. He reworked our pricing and visibility strategy, and within 2 months, our velocity improved significantly. Simple changes. Massive impact.

S

Sara Al Mazrouei

Abu Dhabi

We were burning money on marketing that looked good but didn't convert. Madhavan helped us rethink everything from content to channel strategy to how we show up in-store. The difference? We finally started seeing consistent sales, not just spikes.

N

Neha Gupta

Bangalore

The biggest value was how he simplified things. No fluff. No jargon. Just clear thinking on what to do next and why. If you're serious about scaling a CPG brand, you should talk to Madhavan — it will save you months of trial and error.

H

Hugo Chevalier

Abu Dhabi

This is not theory. This is operator-level thinking. Every conversation with Madhavan feels like you're getting access to years of real market experience, compressed into actionable steps. Highly recommend if you're building in UAE or KSA.

S

Saud Al-Otaibi

Riyadh

Working with Madhavan completely changed how we approached our brand in the coffee category. We weren't struggling with marketing — we were struggling with clarity. He broke down our pricing, positioning, and distribution in a way no agency ever did. Within weeks, we started seeing actual movement at retail.

A

Ahmed K.

Dubai

We had a good product but zero traction. Madhavan helped us understand why — and it wasn't what we expected. He reworked our pricing and visibility strategy, and within 2 months, our velocity improved significantly. Simple changes. Massive impact.

S

Sara Al Mazrouei

Abu Dhabi

We were burning money on marketing that looked good but didn't convert. Madhavan helped us rethink everything from content to channel strategy to how we show up in-store. The difference? We finally started seeing consistent sales, not just spikes.

N

Neha Gupta

Bangalore

The biggest value was how he simplified things. No fluff. No jargon. Just clear thinking on what to do next and why. If you're serious about scaling a CPG brand, you should talk to Madhavan — it will save you months of trial and error.

H

Hugo Chevalier

Abu Dhabi

This is not theory. This is operator-level thinking. Every conversation with Madhavan feels like you're getting access to years of real market experience, compressed into actionable steps. Highly recommend if you're building in UAE or KSA.

S

Saud Al-Otaibi

Riyadh

Most consultants talk about branding. Madhavan talks about what actually sells. From SKU mix to margin structure to retail strategy, everything was practical and rooted in real execution. This is the first time marketing felt like a growth lever, not an expense.

R

Rohan Mehta

Mumbai

What stood out about Madhavan is that he doesn't give "advice." He gives direction. Everything is backed by how the market actually works — retailers, margins, consumer behavior. If you're building a CPG brand in the Middle East, this is the perspective you need.

D

Dana Al-Rashid

Riyadh

I've worked with multiple growth agencies before, but this felt different. Madhavan understands both sides — brand and retail. He helped us align our product, pricing, and placement — and suddenly things started making sense.

O

Omar S.

Dubai

We thought we had a distribution problem. Turns out, it was a positioning problem. Madhavan helped us fix the fundamentals first — and everything downstream improved. Sales, retailer conversations, even our confidence as founders.

R

Rahul

Kochi

The biggest shift for us was mindset. We stopped chasing trends and started building a real brand — with clear pricing, strong visibility, and a scalable structure. That came directly from working with Madhavan.

A

Anand Mishra

Bangalore

Most consultants talk about branding. Madhavan talks about what actually sells. From SKU mix to margin structure to retail strategy, everything was practical and rooted in real execution. This is the first time marketing felt like a growth lever, not an expense.

R

Rohan Mehta

Mumbai

What stood out about Madhavan is that he doesn't give "advice." He gives direction. Everything is backed by how the market actually works — retailers, margins, consumer behavior. If you're building a CPG brand in the Middle East, this is the perspective you need.

D

Dana Al-Rashid

Riyadh

I've worked with multiple growth agencies before, but this felt different. Madhavan understands both sides — brand and retail. He helped us align our product, pricing, and placement — and suddenly things started making sense.

O

Omar S.

Dubai

We thought we had a distribution problem. Turns out, it was a positioning problem. Madhavan helped us fix the fundamentals first — and everything downstream improved. Sales, retailer conversations, even our confidence as founders.

R

Rahul

Kochi

The biggest shift for us was mindset. We stopped chasing trends and started building a real brand — with clear pricing, strong visibility, and a scalable structure. That came directly from working with Madhavan.

A

Anand Mishra

Bangalore

Hey, I'm
Madhavan Unni

Friends and colleagues call me Maddy.

I grew up in my father's grocery store around brands, distribution, and merchandising. That early exposure shaped how I see consumer businesses. I didn't know it then, but I was learning merchandising, velocity, and margin before I understood the terminology.

Markets changed. I evolved with them.

Over the years, I've worked across complex, fast-moving markets in East Asia and Dubai operating at the intersection of brand, retail, and commercial strategy.

I've collaborated with international brands like Twinings Tea, Dorset Cereals, Lamb Weston, Bateel Dates, and Pure Harvest Smart Farms while engaging closely with major regional retailers.

Today, I help founders launch their FMCG brands across both online and offline channels and build the systems required to scale exponentially.

Everything I share is shaped by execution, not theory.

Follow me:
Madhavan signature

6+

Global Brands

10+

Countries

10+

Years in CPG

$100M+

Revenue Impact

Weekly Newsletter

The CPG
Insider

A weekly newsletter for CPG founders and operators who want real insights — not recycled advice.

Industry Insights

Trends, shifts, and what they mean for your brand

Top CPG Products of the Week

What's winning on shelves and why

Top Marketing Campaigns

Breakdowns of campaigns that actually moved the needle

Pricing & Margin Strategies

Real plays from real markets — not textbook theory

Past Editions

Newsletter

Oh no! you missed this 😥

A deep dive into why some CPG campaigns convert instantly, while others burn cash without generating repeat purchase.

Insights

Retail Velocity Playbook

Supercharge your retail strategy with a complete toolkit to understand shelf dynamics and rapidly scale your growth.

Case Study

The 1% Margin Challenge

Stop guessing, start optimizing. Learn how a tiny adjustment in retail pricing strategy completely revolutionized the bottom line.

Madhavan Unni
Madhavan Unni2K+ readers

Subscribe for Free

Join 2K+ founders who read it every week

Loading newsletter...

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Let's Talk

Let's Talk

If you're a founder or operator building a CPG brand and want a focused conversation on your biggest challenge — let's talk.

Come with a specific problem
Leave with a clear direction
No pitch, just strategy

Prefer email? Reach out at admin@madhavanunni.com

Loading calendar...

Get in Touch

Let's Connect

Have a question or want to explore working together? Drop me a message and I'll get back to you.

Email

admin@madhavanunni.com