PepsiCo's Indra K Nooyi Elected Chairman of US-India Business Coun

Washington, Jan 23 (UNI) The first ever Indian American woman to rise to great heights in the American corporate world, Indra K Nooyi, has been named the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the US-India Business Council (USIBC).

Indra Nooyi, is the PepsiCo chairman and chief executive officer and PepsiCo Foundation chairman.

She is again the the first woman to ever serve at the helm of this premier business advocacy organisation USIBC comprising 250 of the largest US companies investing in India, joined by more than two dozen global Indian companies, according to the Business Council press release.

Nooyi succeeds Chairman Charles 'Chip' Kaye who is the Co-President of Warburg Pincus, the New York-headquartered private equity firm that has been a consistent and successful investor in India since economic liberalisation.

Soon after USIBC announced Nooyi as the new head, Kaye said ''at this important moment in US-India relations - and at this point in USIBC's 33-year history - USIBC is truly fortunate to have someone of Indra's talent, insight and vision to leverage the business communities of both countries and to cement the promise of the US-India partnership''.

''We are indebted to Chip Kaye for his dedication to USIBC over the past three years,''Indra Nooyi said of the outgoing chairman.

''His contribution to USIBC and, more importantly, to India sets a benchmark deserving of our gratitude and respect''.

During Chip Kaye's tenure as chairman, the US-India Business Council has experienced unprecedented growth with membership increasing four-fold since 2005. Senior executives from every business sector now comprise the Council's prestigious Board of Directors. The mandate of USIBC is to deepen two-way trade and strengthen US-India commercial ties.

In a statement USIBC President Ron Somers stated, '' That someone of Indra's stature and grace has stepped forward to advance the progress of the Council so effectively implemented by Chip Kaye is not only a testament to Chip's leadership, but speaks volumes of the exciting opportunities associated with these two dynamic economies''.

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