WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN INDIA- REAL LIFE STORY

INDRA NOOYI

Somebody has rightly said- "Success is a journey, not a destination", which can be perfectly seen by the moves of Indra Nooyi who never took a halt, who always kept moving on, who was restless till she reached where she is now. And yet, she is not stagnant. She keeps on working endlessly. Let's take a look at her life today and see what her journey has been like till date?

Indra Nooyi, she was was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. She completed her schooling from Holy Angels AIHSS, Chennai. She received a Bachelor's degree in Commerce from Madras Christian College in 1974 and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management (MBA) from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta in 1976.

Beginning her career in India, Nooyi held product manager positions at Johnson & Johnson and textile firm Mettur Beardsell. She was admitted to Yale School of Management in 1978 and earned a Master's degree in Public and Private Management.

While at Yale, she completed her summer internship with Booz & Company. Graduating in 1980, Nooyi joined the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and then held strategy positions at Motorola and Asea Brown Boveri.

Nooyi joined PepsiCo in 1994 and was named president and CFO in 2001. Nooyi has directed the company's global strategy for more than a decade and led PepsiCo's restructuring, including the 1997 divestiture of its restaurants into Tricon, now known as Yum! Brands. Nooyi also took the lead in the acquisition of Tropicana in 1998, and merger with Quaker Oats Company, which also brought Gatorade to PepsiCo. She is an Indian American executive and is the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PepsiCo Incorporated. On August 14, 2006, Nooyi was named the successor to Steven Reinemund as chief executive officer of the company effective October 1, 2006.On February 5, 2007, she was named Chairperson, effective May 2, 2007.

She is a Successor Fellow of the Yale Corporation. She serves as a member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum, International Rescue Committee, Catalyst and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Eisenhower Fellowships, and currently serves as Chairperson of the U.S.-India Business Council.

In 2007 she became the fifth CEO in PepsiCo's 44-year history.

According to Business-Week, since she started as CFO in 2000, the company's annual revenues have risen 72%, while net profit more than doubled, to $5.6 billion in 2006. Nooyi was named on Wall Street Journal's list of 50 women to watch in 2007 and 2008, and was listed among Time's 100 Most Influential People in The World in 2007 and 2008. Forbes named her the 3rd most powerful woman in 2008. Fortune ranked her the 1st most powerful woman in business in 2009 and 2010.

At its 2009 commencement, Barnard College awarded Nooyi the Barnard Medal of Honor, the College's highest award.

In 2007, she was chosen as a recipient of the Padma Bhushan award by the Government of India. In 2008, she was elected to the Fellowship of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

In January 2008, Nooyi was elected Chairwoman of the US-India Business Council (USIBC), a non-profit business advocacy organization representing more than 300 of the world's largest companies doing business in India. Nooyi leads USIBC's Board of Directors, an assembly of more than 60 senior executives representing a cross-section of American industry.

Indra Nooyi has been named 2009 CEO of the Year by Global Supply Chain Leaders Group.

Who could have ever thought that women can ever reach such a height? Though the state of Indian women is not too good but yes, they possess the ability to always perform their best, live for the best and give their best.

So, all the women of India, this is for you- "Never underestimate yourself. If you have the power, you'll always succeed."

Search for the right inspiration and motivation always. Indra Nooyi being one of them you should always look to.