PepsiCo India Beverages head Vipul Prakash resigns

PepsiCo today said its head of beverages Vipul Prakash has quit the company to pursue an entrepreneurial opportunity outside the company. The company announced appointment of another PepsiCo stalwart Vishal Kaul, who recently re-joined the India team, to replace Prakash.

"Vipul Prakash, Senior Vice President, Beverages Category, India Region has decided to pursue an entrepreneurial opportunity outside PepsiCo. He will be completing 20 years of his career journey with us and leaves a strong legacy," the company said in a statement.

Kaul "will take over the leadership of the Beverage Category, in addition to leading the transformation agenda for India, with immediate effect," it said.

PepsiCo expressed confidence that Kaul will bring his creative and commercial expertise to take the beverage category to the next level.

Vipul joined PepsiCo in November 1998 in India, where he held positions in marketing and franchise. Since then, he has had stints at the sector, global and India region in various capacities.

He has led brand strategy for the firm's most iconic and loved brands like Mountain Dew, 7Up, Pepsi and Mirinda across geographies.

"He has been an excellent mentor and coach to our talent across the system. His heart bleeds blue, and he will continue to be our ambassador. We will truly miss him!," the statement said.

PepsiCo India Chairman & CEO Ahmed ElSheikh said the company has built a very strong talent pipeline by giving people a mix of different critical experiences in India and internationally.

"We are pleased to have Vishal Kaul take on the role of Vice President for the Beverage Category. Prior to his last role outside the company, Vishal had a long stint with PepsiCo in leadership roles across various geographies.

"He takes the baton from Vipul Prakash, who has taken an entrepreneurial opportunity outside PepsiCo after a successful stint of 20 years with the Company. We will miss him and we wish Vipul all the very best for his future endeavours," he said.

Kaul, Vice President Beverage Category and Transformation, PepsiCo India, said it was an honour and privilege to lead PepsiCo to the next stage of growth and evolution of the beverage category.

"The expansion of our portfolio to include healthier options, new packaging choices, and new ways of connecting with consumers is incredibly exciting," he said.