PepsiCo India Appoints Savitha Balachandran as CFO for India & South Asia

PepsiCo India has appointed Savitha Balachandran as Chief Financial Officer for India and South Asia, succeeding long-serving finance leader Kaushik Mitra, who will retire in April 2026 after a distinguished 24-year tenure with the company. Balachandran joins PepsiCo from Tata Technologies, where she served as CFO and played a central role in shaping the company’s financial strategy, enabling profitable growth and leading its successful 2023 IPO one of the most notable market listings of the year. 

In her new mandate, Balachandran will oversee PepsiCo’s finance function across India and South Asia, with responsibilities spanning financial strategy, governance, risk and performance management, and capital allocation to support the company’s long-term growth agenda in the region. India and South Asia remain key markets for PepsiCo, both in terms of portfolio expansion and consumption growth. 

PepsiCo India’s product portfolio includes household brands such as Kurkure, Lays, Quaker Oats, Pepsi, and Mountain Dew, and industry analysts expect Balachandran’s appointment to strengthen financial stewardship, enhance operating discipline, and support category leadership across the region’s fast-growing food and beverage segments. The leadership transition marks a significant milestone for PepsiCo India, as Mitra prepares to retire following more than two decades at the company, during which he held multiple senior finance positions and played a pivotal role in advancing the company’s business and financial capabilities in the region.