Nishant Gupta named VP, chief strategy at PepsiCo India

GURUGRAM: PepsiCo has handed the strategy reins for India and South Asia to Nishant Gupta, appointing him vice president, chief strategy, transformation and deployment. In a role that blends big-picture thinking with on-ground execution, Gupta will shape the company’s strategic direction while driving large-scale change across one of its most dynamic markets.

Announcing the move, Gupta said he was excited to begin a new chapter at PepsiCo India and South Asia, and credited the vision and trust of Athina Kanioura and Jagrut Kotecha for the opportunity. His mandate, he noted, is clear and ambitious: enable sustainable, profitable growth while building a more resilient future for both the business and the communities it serves.

Gupta arrives with a résumé that reads like a tour of modern consumer transformation. Most recently, he was partner for CPG and Retail at Tata Consultancy Services, where he managed consulting P&L, opened new client relationships, and led transformation programmes spanning go-to-market strategy, digital and AI roadmaps, supply chains, quick commerce and M&A due diligence across India, the Middle East and Africa.

Before TCS, he held senior consulting roles at KPMG and Accenture, advising FMCG, retail and consumer businesses on growth, efficiency and channel strategy. He also brings entrepreneurial experience as co-founder of Farmery, a direct-to-consumer dairy venture that built a full-stack farm-to-home supply chain and broke even within 15 months.

With deep roots in strategy, operations and execution, Gupta now steps into a role where thinking big is only half the job. The other half is making it happen, at scale, in a region that never sits still.