Coca-Cola brass to visit India this week with a 200-member team
Coca-Cola Co's global chairman and chief executive officer, James Quincey, will head a 220-member company leadership team on a potentially big-impact visit to India this week, executives aware of the plans told ET, pointing to New Delhi's rapidly ascending importance for the Atlanta-based beverage firm that is striving to drive sales in mature markets such as the US and Europe.
India, the world's most populous and youngest country, is a top-five volume growth priority market for the maker of Coke and Sprite aerated drinks, Minute Maid juice and Kinley bottled water.
«The executives are keen on meeting the government brass,» said one of the executives cited above. «They will also be engaging with bottling partners that now operate close to half of Coca-Cola's bottling business in India — and are crucial since they will infuse capital into the business.»
The teams are scheduled to meet in Goa. Besides Quincey, the company's president and chief financial officer, John Murphy, and global chief marketing officer, Manuel Manolo Arroyo, are leading the teams of Coca-Cola officials. «India is gaining prominence in global system due to strong earnings over the last two years. There are significant investments into building capacity, and the focus is now on ensuring growth is balanced with profitability,» said one of the executives cited above.
An email sent to Coca-Cola India seeking comments remained unanswered until the publication of this report.
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