The Consumer Packaged Goods industry is undergoing an AI-driven transformation, and Shashank Kadetotad stands at the forefront. As Global Senior Director at Mars' Enterprise Data Science & AI Delivery, Kadetotad has developed five patents that establish new methodologies for applying artificial intelligence to product development, analytics, and consumer engagement—innovations that are already generating a measurable business impact across the enterprise.
Leading Mars' AI Innovation Through Strategic Lab Development
The genesis of Mars' patent portfolio stems from Kadetotad's leadership in advancing AI capabilities within the enterprise. Under his direction, Mars operates the AI Learning and Innovation Lab at its Newark facility, a state-of-the-art environment designed to transform theoretical AI concepts into patentable, commercially viable solutions. This lab represents Kadetotad's strategic approach to systematic innovation within the organization.
The lab operates as part of Mars' broader $70 million investment in its manufacturing and R&D capabilities. Mars Wrigley was recognized with the DataIQ "Best Place to Work in AI and Data" award in 2024, with the award organization noting the company's investment in AI talent development programs, including the Mars AI Learning and Innovation Lab, which focuses on AI education and experimentation with cutting-edge technology.
Under Kadetotad's guidance, the facility functions as a collaborative innovation hub where his teams bring together data scientists, product developers, and business leaders to identify problems that can be solved through AI applications. This collaborative approach, championed by Kadetotad, has proven instrumental in generating the intellectual property that forms Mars' patent portfolio.
Five Patents Developed Under Kadetotad's Leadership
From the AI initiatives led by Kadetotad emerged five provisional patents that represent significant breakthroughs in applying Generative AI to CPG industry challenges. Kadetotad's patent portfolio, focusing on multi-agentic architectures and structured data processing, addresses fundamental industry pain points through innovative approaches:
1. System and Method for Planogram Generation and Intelligent Process Automation
Under Kadetotad's direction, this patent addresses one of retail's most complex challenges—optimal product placement and space management. Where traditional planogram generation relies heavily on manual processes, the system developed by Kadetotad's team automates planogram creation while incorporating consumer insights and predictive analytics.
2. System and Method for Generating Analytics Associated with a Product Using an AI Model
This innovation showcases Kadetotad's vision for transforming how product analytics are generated and interpreted. Rather than relying on traditional statistical methods, the patented system developed under Kadetotad's leadership leverages AI models to provide deeper, more actionable insights about product performance and consumer preferences.
3. System and Methods for Product Development Utilizing AI and ML techniques
Perhaps the most commercially significant patent in Kadetotad's portfolio, this system revolutionizes how new products are conceived, developed, and tested. The technology led by Kadetotad's team enables Mars to generate up to 50 product concepts daily using AI analysis of consumer insights from 80,000 consumers across 800,000 consumption moments in 11 countries.
4. System and Methods for Knowledge Answering Engine
Kadetotad's fourth patent establishes the foundation for enterprise-wide AI assistants that can process and respond to complex business queries using structured data. This system represents a significant advancement under Kadetotad's leadership in how organizations can leverage their data assets for decision-making.
5. System and Methods for Knowledge Answering Engine with UI Customizations
Building on the knowledge answering engine, this patent, developed by Kadetotad's team, focuses on user experience optimization, ensuring that AI-powered insights are accessible and actionable across different organizational roles and technical competencies.
The patents filed under Kadetotad's leadership collectively represent what industry analysts describe as "the technical foundation to how all GenAI and Agentic applications are developed across the enterprise," establishing him as a leader in AI-driven CPG innovation.
From Patents to Industry-Transforming Applications Under Kadetotad's Direction
The true measure of the patents developed under Kadetotad's leadership lies not just in their technical sophistication but in their practical applications that are already transforming the industry. The most visible manifestation of this innovation is the award-winning José Mourinho Snickers campaign, which won two Grand Clio Sports Awards and contributed to double-digit sales growth. This campaign, built on AI infrastructure developed by Kadetotad's teams, represents the first mass-personalized AI entertainment experience of its kind.
The campaign's success demonstrates how the patented technologies led by Kadetotad enable unprecedented personalization at scale. By leveraging the knowledge answering engine and product analytics systems his team developed, Mars created an AI-powered experience that could generate personalized content for millions of consumers while maintaining brand consistency and quality standards.
Beyond consumer-facing applications, the patents filed under Kadetotad's direction have enabled Mars to achieve significant operational improvements. The company's proprietary MarsGPT platform, built on the foundation of these innovations led by Kadetotad's team, has generated substantial value in its first year of deployment across Finance and Sales domains. The system's ability to extract insights from structured data represents a fundamental shift in how CPG companies can leverage their vast data assets for competitive advantage.
Industry recognition of Kadetotad's innovation leadership extends beyond commercial success. Mars won the DataIQ AI-enabling Solution of the Year award for 2025, specifically recognizing their V2C (Volume to Customer) platform, which unlocked over $6 million in incremental sales. This recognition from the industry's most prestigious data and AI awards program validates the practical impact of the patent portfolio developed under Kadetotad's guidance.
Kadetotad's influence as a patent pioneer extends beyond Mars' immediate success. As generative AI adoption accelerates throughout the CPG sector, with major companies like Nestlé, Unilever, and Coca-Cola exploring similar applications, the patent portfolio led by Kadetotad positions him as both a technology innovator and a contributor to fundamental AI methodologies for CPG applications.
Looking forward, the patents developed under Kadetotad's leadership represent significant contributions to what industry experts predict will be a fundamental transformation of how consumer goods companies operate. As the CPG sector continues embracing AI for product development, marketing, supply chain optimization, and customer engagement, Kadetotad's innovations position him among the pioneers driving this industry-wide digital transformation.
The significance of Kadetotad's work as a patent pioneer extends beyond immediate commercial interests. By leading the development of patent protection for these fundamental AI applications in CPG, Kadetotad has contributed to creating intellectual property assets that demonstrate his exceptional ability in the field. As the CPG industry continues its digital transformation, the patents filed under Kadetotad's leadership represent not just technological achievements but evidence of his extraordinary talent in pioneering AI-driven solutions for consumer goods.
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