Arpit Agrawal: Building Scalable FMCG Distribution Across Emerging Markets

In much of South Asia, moving a household product from factory to shelf is rarely a linear process. Infrastructure gaps, fragmented retail networks, and wide variations in consumer behavior across regions create operational realities that challenge conventional distribution models. It is within this complex environment that Arpit Agrawal has built one of the region’s most expansive FMCG distribution platforms that is grounded in execution, shaped by local market conditions.

As Executive Director at Vishal Group, one of Nepal’s largest diversified business conglomerates, Agrawal leads the company’s FMCG distribution vertical. His work focuses on connecting global consumer brands with millions of consumers across markets where access, consistency, and predictability cannot be taken for granted. Operating at the intersection of global strategy and on-the-ground execution, he helps multinational companies translate international growth ambitions into sustainable, locally adapted operations across emerging economies.

This includes a growing emphasis on the beauty division, where premium, science-backed products—ranging from professional hair care to advanced skincare to high-end fragrances—meet rising demand in underserved markets.

Vishal Group and the Scale of Operations

Headquartered in Nepal, Vishal Group has evolved over nearly a century from a small textile business in Dharan into a multi-sector enterprise with interests spanning manufacturing, finance, hospitality, automobiles, retail, and consumer goods distribution. Today, the group comprises approximately 60 companies and employs more than 20,000 people across its operations.

Under Agrawal’s leadership, the FMCG distribution vertical has emerged as a key growth engine within this broader ecosystem. The division serves as a bridge between international brand owners and emerging-market consumers, ensuring access to premium and science-backed products in regions where product availability is often inconsistent. Its distribution footprint extends across both urban centers and remote geographies, operating in some of South Asia’s most logistically demanding environments.

A standout area of expansion is the beauty vertical, which integrates high-end skincare, hair care, and lifestyle offerings through dedicated initiatives like Red Salon and The Beauty Lab. These efforts introduce global beauty brands to Nepal while building capacity through training and localized engagement, aligning premium positioning with regional consumer aspirations.

Foundations Shaped by Legacy

Agrawal’s professional outlook was shaped early through exposure to Vishal Group’s family-led business environment. As a fourth-generation member of the Agrawal family, he grew up observing firsthand how diversified enterprises navigate economic cycles, regulatory shifts, and market volatility. Conversations around diversification, operational discipline, and long-term value creation were embedded in daily life, rooted in real decisions affecting employees, partners, and communities.

Witnessing the group’s evolution across industries and generations instilled an appreciation for resilience and adaptability, principles that later became central to his approach to scaling consumer distribution platforms in volatile markets. This grounding in long-term thinking continues to influence how he evaluates growth opportunities, partnership structures, and operational risk.

Global Education and Strategic Perspective

Agrawal’s leadership approach was further shaped by an international education that emphasized cultural fluency alongside formal business training. After attending an international school, he spent six years in the United States completing his undergraduate studies at Florida Southern College. He later pursued graduate studies at Hult International Business School, specializing in operations management and finance.

Living and studying in multicultural academic environments strengthened his ability to interpret global business frameworks while recognizing their limitations when applied to emerging markets. This ability to adapt international strategies to local realities has become a defining element of his leadership style, particularly in markets where standardized playbooks often fall short.

Leading FMCG Distribution at Scale

Today, Agrawal oversees one of Vishal Group’s fastest-growing divisions. The FMCG vertical partners with leading global brands, including P&G, GSK, Kellanova, Hershey, Diageo, Mars, Ferrero, Kraft Heinz, General Mills, COTY, Wella, Paul Mitchell, Church & Dwight, etc.

Within this, the beauty and personal care portfolio stands out, featuring partnerships with premium names like Wella Professionals (launched to bring world-class hair care expertise to Nepal) and Mario Badescu (a cult-favorite skincare line), alongside COTY and other science-driven brands. These collaborations address growing consumer interest in quality, effective beauty solutions that blend global innovation with local accessibility.

Through an integrated distribution ecosystem, the platform supports product availability across Nepal and has expanded into many international markets.

The operational scale of the network is significant. During peak periods, it facilitates the movement of billions of consumer product units annually, with reported volumes exceeding 2 million SKUs per day. Achieving this level of throughput in fragmented retail environments has required a fundamental rethinking of how distribution operates on the ground.

Rather than attempting to replace traditional trade structures, Vishal Group has focused on integrating them with modern retail formats and digital commerce channels. Strategic investments in supply chain architecture, last-mile logistics, and demand forecasting technologies have improved inventory visibility and operational resilience. These initiatives have contributed to a reported tripling of turnover within the distribution vertical in recent years, reinforcing the group’s position as Nepal’s most extensive consumer distribution network.

Strategy for Emerging Markets

Agrawal’s core expertise lies in emerging-market growth strategy, cross-border supply chain design, and multi-channel distribution development. His work centers on enabling global brands to scale efficiently in environments shaped by regulatory complexity, infrastructure limitations, and diverse consumer behavior patterns.

Rather than replicating developed-market strategies, he emphasizes localized adaptation, aligning global brand positioning with regional pricing sensitivities, retail formats, and consumption habits. In beauty, this means tailoring premium offerings to cultural preferences, such as hair and skin solutions suited to South Asian climates and demographics, while building trust through consistent availability and education. In his view, sustainable success in emerging markets depends less on speed and more on patience, trust, and operational nuance.

Today, Vishal Group’s distribution platform supports operations across more than 30 countries, collectively serving markets representing over 2.5 billion consumers. Building this footprint has required flexible operating frameworks capable of absorbing challenges such as currency volatility, supply chain disruptions, and regulatory shifts without compromising long-term growth objectives.

Commitment Beyond Commerce

Beyond commercial expansion, Agrawal is actively involved in advancing social and sustainability initiatives through the VG Foundation, Vishal Group’s private operating charity. The foundation focuses on strengthening corporate governance, supporting humanitarian initiatives, and contributing to community development efforts across Nepal.

For Agrawal, these initiatives are closely linked to long-term business strategy. He views resilient economic systems and inclusive growth as mutually reinforcing, particularly in emerging markets where private enterprise often plays a central role in supporting social development and institutional capacity.

Looking Ahead

As digital adoption accelerates across South Asia and other emerging regions, Agrawal sees growing opportunities to integrate data-driven insights with physical distribution networks. His long-term vision centers on building scalable consumer platforms that connect global product innovation with broad accessibility, while remaining grounded in local market realities.

He believes emerging economies will drive the next phase of global consumer growth, fueled by urbanization, demographic expansion, and rapid technological adoption. Navigating this shift, he argues, will require partnership-driven expansion strategies and a deep understanding of local market dynamics rather than short-term entry tactics.

Arpit Agrawal’s professional journey reflects the convergence of family legacy, global education, and execution-focused leadership. Through disciplined growth, adaptive strategy, and a commitment to long-term value creation, he continues to help global brands reach consumers in some of the world’s most complex and high-potential markets.

For more on his professional background, visit his LinkedIn profile or explore Vishal Group’s initiatives at www.vishalgroup.com.

About the Author

Priya Sharma is a freelance business journalist and analyst specializing in South Asian conglomerates and emerging market innovations.