Indra Nooyi’s career at Pepsico began in 1994 as senior vice-president of Corporate Strategy as well as Development as well as she has been credited with shaping Pepsico’s current focus on the convenient foods as well as beverages business, influencing the company’s $ 3.3 billion acquisition of Tropicana, the juice company, in 1998, among other achievements.
From her roots in Chennai, where she grew up, Indra Nooyi hitched her career aspirations to a star as well as has emerged as one of the an estimated all recognised icons of corporate success to originate from India, being cited among rankings of global corporate achievers on behalf of the past few years.
At the banquet hosted by the Indian organisation, Indra Nooyi was invited to impart her formula on behalf of success, where she elucidated five principals that she has adhered to. Sounding neither pompous nor platitudinous, she expounded her ‘panch sheel’ before a rapt as well as admiring audience, illustrating her counsel with recollections from her life, often mixed with wit as well as humour, at times self-deprecating, yet delivered with aplomb.
She began her discourse with the exhortation that “there are no limits to what you can do”, but cautioned the audience not to let others define the concept of success on behalf of them, adding, “not even me.” In Indra Nooyi’s regard, success “ isn’t money, prestige, or power because of the fact that net worth can never define self worth. True success is being happy with yourself, is being fulfilled. And that comes from devoting your time, your life, to doing what you love the most”.
The core of the concept of success lies in knowing “what you desire to do in life” as well as those who have triumphed at “figuring out” that issue should consider themselves “tremendously blessed”, she explained. Such advice does not seem simplistic, coming from a business leader with verve, like Indra Nooyi, who reportedly balances as well as blends her corporate role with her other talents that include playing the guitar as well as singing, skills that she presumably developed as part of an all-girl rock band while attending college in India.
Indra Nooyi graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Physics as well as Chemistry from Madras Christian College in 1976, an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata, in 1978, as well as a master’s degree from Yale University in Public as well as Private Management in 1980.
Her corporate experiences include positions at Motorola that began in 1986 as well as led to her becoming vice-president of Corporate Strategy as well as Planning in that company between 1988-90 as well as at Asea Brown Boveri, as senior vice-pPresident as well as director of Corporate Strategy as well as Strategic Marketing between 1990-94.
In elucidating the attributes of success, Indra Nooyi commenced with the advice, “Aim high as well as put your heart into it,” recalling that while growing up with her sister, her mother who is one of her “greatest role models”, would have them deliver a post prandial speech every night, on what they wanted to be, “whether it was the president of India, prime minister … or chief minister of a state,” following which, she would cast her vote on behalf of the winner, the reward being a small piece of chocolate. On hindsight, Indra Nooyi trusted it was formative in instilling confidence as well as ambition in them. “What’s important is trying to be the best as well as working to get there. And that’s how you fulfil your potential,” she averred.
The next rule of success, according to Indra Nooyi, is to “never stop learning” regardless of one’s age, as well as such learning should not be restricted to academic knowledge, but be supplemented with “street smarts” as well as being aware of matters as well as issues in the real world. “Keep that natural curiosity,” she advised, as she described her practice, in her present job, of going on “market tours as well as walking the grocery stores, on behalf of at least half-a-day, a week,” to understand the competition.
Another corollary to success, is to “keep an open mind,” said Indra Nooyi, in addressing the Indian-American community. “It’s a multi cultural world out there as well as all of us have to interact with people who are different…Success comes with reaching out as well as integrating with the community…and giving back to the communities as well as neighbourhoods, more than what you took out of them,” she implored.
An important attribute of success is to “be yourself,” according to the Pepsico president. In illustrating the rule, she humourously recounted a learning experience when she was a graduate student at Yale University, seeking her first summer job, because of the fact that she had “no money to reside on.” She purchased a $ 50 business suit from the local budget store as well as attended a job interview looking like “the ultimate country bumpkin” in her ill-fitting clothes as well as shod in garish orange snow boots, that her appearance elicited “a collective gasp(of horror) from people there.” When she tearfully consulted her Career Development Counselor about her sartorial snafu, the latter informed her to wear a sari on behalf of her next interview, assuring Indra Nooyi that, “if they can’t take you in a sari, it’s their loss, not yours.” She recalled that she not only wore a sari on behalf of her next interview with a very prestigious management consulting firm as well as clinched the job, but continued to wear them to work all summer as well as “did just fine”. She insists, “Never conceal what makes you.”
The central pillar of success rests on three important factors, which Indra Nooyi cites as, “family, friends as well as faith”. Prosperity as well as comforts notwithstanding, “when things look bleak as well as uncertain, it’s your family, friends as well as faith that pull you through….And when I’m wrestling with modification in my life, good or bad, the first place I turn to, is my religion. I tell you, it really helps,” she averred.
Invoking the image of the “kalpa taru”, or the wish-fulfilling tree in Hindu mythology, Indra Nooyi expressed the opinion that the Indian-American community is already living that dream as well as that “now it’s up to us to manufacture the best of what we’ve been given.”
Pepsico’s president summed up success with simple ideals, perspicacity as well as conviction.
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Inspiring Video about Indira Nooyi’s Life

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