Madhu Ahuja

Consumer Insights and Product Innovation professional with 12+ years of experience leading end-to-end research programmes within a global FMCG environment. Experienced in integrating quantitative research, sensory science, consumer behaviour and market insights to guide product innovation, business strategy and commercial decision-making. Skilled at translating complex research into actionable recommendations for senior stakeholders while partnering cross-functionally with R&D, Marketing, Commercial and Global Innovation teams.

Passionate about using data-driven insights to solve business problems and improve customer experiences.

Associate Manager - Sensory and Consumer Product Insights (R&D) - PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd. - Gurgaon

(2021-03)

Led integrated sensory, consumer, and market insights initiatives across product development and commercialization, supporting innovation, product superiority, GTM excellence, and strategic business decision-making.

• Identified emerging consumer trends and whitespace opportunities, enabling pipeline development and innovation strategy across categories.
• Led end-to-end research programmes by defining research objectives, designing study methodologies, and partnering with cross-functional teams to co-create, test, and optimize product concepts, claims, and sensory experiences, translating consumer insights into actionable business recommendations that strengthened product-market fit prior to launch.
• Conducted post-launch performance evaluations, identifying key drivers of success and improvement areas, enabling continuous optimization of GTM strategies.
• Conducted competitive benchmarking, identifying gaps and driving differentiated positioning strategies.
• Synthesized insights from multiple data sources (consumer, sensory, market) to create clear narratives for leadership decision-making.
• Led end-to-end sensory programs (QDA, discrimination, hedonic) ensuring robust product evaluation and decision making.
• Built and calibrated trained sensory panels, improving data reliability and consistency.
• Defined sensory lexicons and reference standards, enabling standardized evaluation across projects.
• Delivered product superiority vs competition, directly influencing reformulation and product optimization.
• Designed and executed consumer research (IHUTs, CLTs, U&A) to evaluate product performance and perception.
• Conducted drivers of liking analysis (regression, correlation) to identify key attributes impacting preference.
• Enabled targeted product optimization by linking sensory attributes with consumer liking.
• Integrated sensory & consumer data to build holistic insights for leadership decision-making.
• Translated complex data into clear, actionable storytelling for senior stakeholders

Assistant Manager – Sensory and Consumer Product Insights (R&D) - PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd. - Gurgaon

(2016-04 - 2021-03)

Associate - Sensory and Consumer Product Insights (R&D) - PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd. - Gurgaon

(2014-09 - 2016-04)

Executive Assistant - R&D Director (R&D) - PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd. - Gurgaon

(2010-10 - 2014-09)

• Supported R&D leadership in planning and governance of key initiatives, ensuring alignment across cross-functional teams.
• Managed reporting, coordination, and execution tracking for R&D operations and strategic priorities.
• Supported administrative processes and stakeholder communication.

Administration Executive - IGT Pvt. Ltd. - Gurgaon

(2008-03 - 2010-10)

• Managed operational coordination and cross-functional workflow execution across teams.
• Supported administrative processes and stakeholder communication.

MBA - Marketing & HR - ICFAI University (2011)

B.Com - Delhi University (2007)