Mumbai, July 24 (Reuters): Swiss food group Nestle has replaced the head of its Indian operations as the company battles its worst-ever public relations crisis in the country, following a food scare that forced it to withdraw its popular instant noodles brand Maggi.

Nestle India in a statement on Friday said its managing director for India, Etienne Benet, would move to the group's head office in Switzerland. He will be replaced by Suresh Narayanan, a former Nestle India executive and at present the chief executive of the company's Philippines unit. He will take the reins on August 1.

Analysts had been expecting a change in leadership for the business, which was widely criticised for its slow response to consumer worries over safety. The company withdrew the noodles from the stores last month. It has since challenged the findings of the country's food safety authority in court.

"An Indian in India is able to possibly interact better with the government at large," said brand strategist Harish Bijoor.

Nestle has been at the centre of India's worst food scare in a decade, after a regulator in Uttar Pradesh in May found excess lead in a sample of its popular Maggi noodles.

The company had to bring group chief executive Paul Bulcke to calm consumers at a press conference last month.