Books for Entrepreneurs: The CEO Factory - Management Lessons from Hindustan Unilever by Sudhir Sitapati

We are starting the Books for entrepreneurs series where we invite the authors of awesome business books to share about their experiences, why they wrote these books, what are the takeaways for founders, and their own journey of writing a book. publishing and distributing the book. 

For the 1st episode of this series, we were delighted to have Sudhir Sitapati, Executive Director & VP, Foods and Refreshment, Hindustan Unilever, and author of The CEO Factory.

image credit: HUL

About The CEO Factory:

For six decades Hindustan Unilever has remained among India’s top five most valuable companies. No other corporation in the world has done so well for so long. Its brands sit in most Indian homes (nine out of ten Indians use an HUL product every month), its financial indicators are among the best in Dalal street and it is famously a factory for CEOs. 

For the first time comes a book that decodes how this great business works – from a director of the company who has spent his whole career there. 

Why are there so many CEOs across industries in India who are ex-Unilever people? What is the company’s secret management training sauce? Why is marketing at the heart of every business? Why is it easier to create a new market than to grab a slice of an existing one? How is it actually smarter to stock your product in smaller quantities in a store than to aggressively push orders? And why you should never, ever believe that pricing down your product will get you more customers. 

Sharp, insightful, and entertaining, the CEO factory is an MBA course in a single book.

You can watch my conversation with Sudhir below.

https://youtu.be/wpKaLifHc-c

You can buy this book from Amazon.

Startup Stream

The eChai Effect - In Their Words

"After moving back from the USA, eChai became my go-to space to learn how the Indian startup ecosystem works. It offered direct exposure to startup thinking and a community that openly shares business insights. What stood out was how easy it was to connect, learn, and grow through real conversations. As we built our IT hardware rentals business, eChai helped us find our niche and refine our path. Proud and grateful to be part of this amazing community."
Heet Sheth - Growth and Tech, Sheth Info
Heet Sheth
Growth and Tech, Sheth Info
“When we launched LegalWiz.in back in 2016, concept of procuring legal and compliance services through a digital commerce platform wasn't as prominent in India. eChai played a significant role in providing the early adopters, and building significant positioning in the startup fraternity. Overtime, eChai grew to be a massive network of like-minded entrepreneurs and extended that benefit to all the members in a true "co-rise" spirit. I personally love to attend eChai events, learn from subject matter experts who share relatable and actionable insights and experiences. For startup journeys, it is so important to be surrounded by people who can add relevance, perspective, and push you to do better. Most importantly a group of people where you aren't being judged about things going right or wrong, but be a motivational force that keeps you going, yet keeping you in check. eChai is that place for me!”
Shrijay Sheth - Founder at LegalWiz.in and Hire4Higher Consulting
Shrijay Sheth
Founder at LegalWiz.in and Hire4Higher Consulting
"eChai has been a game changer in my journey. It connected me with real people, real support and real opportunities. From building HMMBiz to launching Mindalcove, eChai has played a key role at every step. Grateful to be part of a community that truly believes in growing together."
Hardik Manwani - CTO, Mind Alcove
Hardik Manwani
CTO, Mind Alcove

eChai Partner Brands

eChai Ventures partners with select brands as their growth partner - working together to explore new ideas, open doors, and build momentum across the startup ecosystem.