Pepsi boss could face resistance in India

Ten days ago I was in India, and I was surprised how deep rooted the problems facing the cola sector there have become.

Drinking a Pepsi in public or giving a cola to my two-year-old was almost seen as a sin, causing people to approach me with wise advice. While I was there I read about Indra Nooyi’s appointment at Pepsi – it was on the front page of nearly all the mainstream dailies – and this led people to make an Indian connection with the brand. Whether or not they will drink Pepsi again, only time will tell, but having an Indian at the top will certainly have a positive effect on the Indian consumer psyche. However, Nooyi has quite a job to do there – cola drinks in India are said to have 200% more pesticides than the allowed limit.

Shail Chauhan

Uttoxeter

Staffordshire