Nitin Bhandari to head PepsiCo India's beverages business; George Kovoor to retire

Nitin Bhandari has been appointed Vice President and General Manager for India and South Asia Beverages at PepsiCo, taking on the responsibility of steering the company’s beverage operations in the region. Based in Gurugram, Bhandari will focus on driving growth, enhancing value for consumers, and fostering stronger relationships with communities and stakeholders.

He succeeds George Kovoor, who will retire on March 31, 2025, as Senior Vice President and General Manager for India Beverages.

Bhandari brings nearly two decades of experience at PepsiCo, having held various leadership positions across India, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. Most recently, as Vice President and Chief Growth Officer for PepsiCo India, he led transformative initiatives across the company’s food and beverage segments in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Earlier, he managed operations in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore, overseeing both beverages and foods.

Among Bhandari’s significant achievements are launching e-commerce initiatives across Asia, revitalizing PepsiCo’s food business in Thailand, and crafting the marketing strategy for iconic brands such as Mountain Dew in India.

PepsiCo faces mounting competition from a resurgent Reliance Industries, which has revived the Campa-Cola brand and is expected to intensify its efforts in the Indian soft drink market. At the same time, the Jubilant Bhartia group has invested Rs 12,500 crore in Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, a key bottling partner for Coca-Cola in India, acquiring a 40% stake.

Bhandari said, "Excited to lead our beverages business in India & South Asia. Grateful to Eugene Willemsen & Jagrut Kotecha for this opportunity, and deeply appreciative of George Kovoor's leadership over the last 3 years to set such a strong foundation for this business. Looking forward to partnering with our incredible team and bottling partners to unlock potential and create meaningful value for our consumer, communities & stakeholders in this vibrant region."