SLMG Beverages, a Coca-Cola bottling partner, has appointed Lagan Shastri as its chief executive officer, effective August 10, 2026.
Shastri comes with nearly three decades of experience across the beverages, FMCG and consumer products sectors. He started his career at Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB) as a management trainee and spent nearly two decades with the company across sales, marketing, commercial profit centre management and strategy.
During his tenure at HCCB, Shastri went on to serve as executive director – market operations, overseeing end-to-end market operations and co-leading the company’s strategy with the CEO.
In 2020, he took over as managing director and CEO of DFM Foods. He subsequently joined Reliance Consumer Products as strategic advisor, where he worked on commercial strategy and enterprise-level execution. In recent years, he has also advised promoters, institutions and emerging businesses on governance and organisational scaling.
In his new role at SLMG Beverages, Shastri will be responsible for market operations, digital capabilities, manufacturing, supply chain and customer partnerships. He will be based out of the company’s corporate office in Lucknow and report to the operational board.
Commenting on his appointment, Shastri said he was excited to lead SLMG Beverages at an important stage in its growth journey. He highlighted the company’s market understanding, customer and system partnerships, and innovation-led execution as key strengths.
Shastri added that his focus would be on accelerating growth and building a more agile, innovative and future-ready organisation. The company has set an ambition of building a US$10 billion enterprise value and being recognised among the Top 10 global Coca-Cola bottlers.
Shastri holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi.
