Punita LalCorporate (Maharashtra, India) 2009

PUNITA LAL – CEO of PepsiCo – Tata Tea and Executive Director – Marketing at PepsiCo India Holdings Private Limited. The ‘IIM, Calcutta’ alumna has been a true miracle-worker while leading the Cola colossus, Pepsi to newer and newer highs in its on-going war with its traditional adversary, Coca Cola. Holding the Pepsi fort against Coke’s first-mover-advantage, she has come up with some absolutely original strokes of marketing acumen to capture the attention of the thirsty behemoth called India, like, zeroing in on the Youth in the country, offering drinks from the 7-Up to Mirinda for satiating Indian craving for variety and so on.
In that, she had a single-minded resolve – ‘Throat Control’, i.e., ‘Anything slipping down your throat should be mine!’ An epitome of determination…!