India-born Indra Nooyi, who became the first woman and first immigrant to lead global food and beverage giant PepsiCo in 2006, has sparked a debate on women in leadership roles. Speaking at a recent event at the Stanford Graduate School of Business in California, Nooyi credited the US with giving immigrants and women the opportunity to rise on merit.
Nooyi said: "This (US) is where an immigrant could come in with nothing in her pocket and become the CEO of an iconic American red, white and blue company. I could never have become CEO in any other country in the world, including in India."
The 70-year-old hailed America's "meritocratic system", asserting, "It's because the mentors here don't care if you're male or female, they just want the best brains to rise to the top."
Her statement quickly polarised social media, with corporate and diplomatic names raising questions on why she was misrepresenting India.
Former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal listed prominent women leaders like Falguni Nayar and Radhika Gupta in India on X, questioning Nooyi: “You couldn’t become CEO in India? Why give a wrong picture of India?”
Businessman Suhel Seth also criticised her view, saying it unfairly dismissed the opportunities available in the country.
{{/usCountry}}Businessman Suhel Seth also criticised her view, saying it unfairly dismissed the opportunities available in the country.
{{/usCountry}}While certain sections of people found Nooyi's statement was a comment on India's reservation system, one user served a reminder: "But (a) woman can become PM and President in India, and that hasn't been done US till today."
On the flipside, some social media users appreciated Indra Nooyi's candour and honesty, arguing that gender bias, entrenched workplace hierarchies and unequal access to leadership continue to hinder career progression in India. One Instagram user commented, ““She is right. You have to be a yes boss to be able to get promoted.”
Others, however, felt Nooyi’s observation reflected the reality many women still face, Some also pointed out that India has elected women as both Prime Minister and President, while the US is yet to elect a woman President.
For the facts
- Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw built Biocon from a garage startup into India's biotech powerhouse.
- Vinita Bali led India-based food company Britannia Industries Ltd, as CEO and Managing Director from 2005 to 2014.
- Shikha Sharma, an economist and banker, was the managing director and CEO of Axis Bank, India's third largest private bank, from 2009 to 2018.
- Radhika Gupta took charge of Edelweiss Mutual Fund in 2017 and turned it into one of India’s fastest-growing fund houses.
- Falguni Nayar quit investment banking at 50 to build Nykaa, one of India’s biggest beauty empires.
- Mira Kulkarni launched Forest Essentials in her mid-40s and made Ayurveda synonymous with luxury beauty.
- Vibha Padalkar rose to lead HDFC Life, one of India’s largest life insurers, as MD & CEO.
- Prabha Narasimhan took over Colgate-Palmolive (India) in 2022 after a 25-year global FMCG career