Homi Battiwala to head cola marketing at PepsiCo India

He takes over as Executive Vice President – Colas, Hydration & Mango Based Beverages. He will head the marketing responsibilities for Pepsi and Diet Pepsi which were hitherto handled by Sandeep Singh Arora, who has moved on

PepsiCo India has appointed Homi Battiwalla as Executive Vice President – Colas, Hydration & Mango Based Beverages. Homi takes over fromSandeep Singh Arora, who after a successful stint of four years, has moved from his current assignment with the company to pursue other interests. A 15-year veteran of PepsiCo, Homitakes charge of the marketing role for the Cola category (Pepsi, Diet Pepsi) along with his current responsibilities.

Speaking on the appointment, Deepika Warrier, Executive Director- Marketing, PepsiCo Beverages, India said, “Homi’s rich experience and in-depth understanding of the beverage industry, positions him well to lead the marketing responsibilities for brand Pepsi as we look forward to continue the brand’s winning performance. Homi has been singularly responsible for some iconic brand building & marketing on brand Slice and consistently positioning Tropicana in the breakfast nutrition space. He has proven his leadership skills in successfully growing the juice & juice based drinks category for PepsiCo.”

“On behalf of the whole PepsiCo family, we would like to thank Sandeep for his invaluable contribution to our India business and wish him all the best for the future”, she added.

Homi joined PepsiCo in 1997 as a Management Trainee. After the initial stint in the sales and distribution team, he became a part of the marketing team. Over the years, he has worked across various beverage brands including Mountain Dew, 7UP, Tropicana, Aquafina and Mango Slice.  Homi has been a key contributor to the growth of PepsiCo India, especially creating salience & equity for brands like Slice & Tropicana in the Indian market through successful marketing campaigns. He holds a BE degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineeringfrom Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra and an MBA in Marketing from Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi.

Information forwarded via email by Percy Kavarana