Nitin Bhandari, a long-time executive at PepsiCo India, has been appointed to lead the company’s beverages division in India and South Asia.
He will take over the reins from George Kovoor, who is set to retire on March 31, 2025, after announcing his decision in December 2024.
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PepsiCo India, the maker of popular drinks like Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Tropicana, confirmed the leadership change. “George Kovoor has decided to retire from PepsiCo, effective March 31, 2025, to explore other opportunities. Nitin Bhandari will step in as the general manager for beverages in India and South Asia,” a company representative shared with ET.
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The leadership shift comes as the soft drinks industry faces heightened competition, particularly with summer just around the corner. While PepsiCo’s bottling operations in India are handled by its franchisee partner, Varun Beverages Ltd (VBL), rival Coca-Cola is gearing up for its next phase of expansion. In a major move last month, the Jubilant Bhartia Group acquired a 40% stake in Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), Coca-Cola India’s bottling partner, for ₹12,500 crore.
