Indra Nooyi
Induction Category:
Business & Labor
Inducted:
2015
Indra Nooyi’s distinguished journey from Chennai, India to the top of the global business world highlights her extraordinary vision, resilience, and leadership. She joined PepsiCo in 1994 as Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning, quickly advancing to Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Development, and later serving as President and Chief Financial Officer. In 2006, Nooyi became the fifth CEO in PepsiCo’s history, as well as the first woman of color and immigrant to helm a Fortune 50 company. Under her leadership, PepsiCo’s annual net profit rose from $2.7 billion to $6.5 billion, as she guided the company through major acquisitions, international expansion, and industry-leading innovation.
Indra was born in 1955 in Madras (now Chennai), India, to a conservative family in a society where males were favored and it was considered inappropriate for young girls to exert themselves. Her mother and father, a stay-at-home mom and an official or the State Bank respectively, put great importance on education and excelling in school. They also made sure to instill the belief in Indra and her two siblings that they could become anything they wanted to be regardless of gender, encouraging all three of their children to dream big.
Indra took that message to heart (as did her older sister Chandrika Krishnamurth, a Grammy nominated world musician and a financial advisor/trustee of New York University; and her younger brother Nandu Narayanan, founder and Chief Investment Officer of Trident Investment Management LLC in New York City). She received a degree in chemistry, physics, and math from Madras Christian College in 1976, where she considered herself a bit of a rule breaker by joining an all-girls cricket team and becoming a member of an all-girls rock band.
She continued with her education, receiving her M.B.A. in 1978 from the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta. She took her first job at Tootal, a British textile company in India. She then went on to work for Johnson & Johnson as brand manager overseeing the company’s Stayfree account. Indra found this to be a challenging position, as advertising women’s feminine products was not allowed in India. After leaving Johnson & Johnson she worked as a product manager for textile firm Mettur Beardsell Ltd.
Indra began to feel as though she needed more preparation for the business world and so she applied and was accepted to the Yale School of Management in 1978. She was surprised that her parents agreed to let her go abroad. After graduating from Yale in 1980 with a master’s degree in public and private management she went on to direct international corporate strategies for the Boston Consulting Group. In 1986 she began working for Motorola as a business development executive and then was promoted to the Director of Corporate Strategy and Planning and Vice President. In 1990 she began working as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Strategic Marketing for Asea Brown Boveri, an automation and power technology corporation.
During her time at PepsiCo., Nooyi was the driving force behind the Performance with Purpose initiative, which combined financial performance with commitments to healthier products, environmental responsibility, and employee inclusion. Inspired by the Performance with Purpose initiative, PepsiCo launched Food for Good, a social enterprise within the company whose mission is to make healthy food physically and financially accessible for low-income families through sustainable, business-driven solutions. She also served as chair of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, a U.S. effort that brought together retailers, restaurants, and food and beverage manufacturers to help reduce obesity, especially in children.
These efforts strengthened PepsiCo’s reputation as a socially responsible business and set new standards across the industry. During her tenure, Nooyi championed diversity and innovation, always focusing on long-term growth and integrity.
Nooyi retired as CEO in October 2018 and as chairman in early 2019. As of 2025, Nooyi holds board positions at Amazon, Royal Philips, the International Cricket Council, the International Advisory Council of Temasek, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, along with membership in the MIT Corporation, and advisory roles at MIT and West Point. She also sits on the boards of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the National Gallery of Art, and the Partnership for Public Service.
Her achievements have earned her over fifteen honorary degrees and distinctions, including the 2007 Padma Bhushan Award from the President of India. She is frequently listed among the world’s most powerful and influential women, and continues to advocate for leadership, innovation, and social progress.
Nooyi and her husband, Raj K. Nooyi, have made their home in Fairfield County, Connecticut, where they have raised two daughters. Family remains an important influence and support in her life, with Nooyi often acknowledging the enduring role her husband and children have played throughout her career and accomplishments..
Born: 1955
Town: Greenwich
“Please help others rise. Greatness comes not from a position, but from helping build the future. We have an obligation to pull others up.”
-Indra Nooyi