PepsiCo India appoints Garima Singh to head Govt Affairs; Global role for Viraj Chouhan

PepsiCo India has announced the appointment of Garima Singh as Head of Government Affairs and Communications. Singh takes over from Viraj Chouhan, who is elevated to the role of Vice President, Global Market Communications.

Prior to the new appointment, Singh was Head of Corporate Affairs at Hero MotoCorp and as part of her rich experience of over 20+ years has led public affairs mandate for companies like Mondelez, Apple, Mahindra & Mahindra amongst others. In her new role at PepsiCo India, Singh will be a key business partner managing long-term policy risks and opportunities to shape public policy decisions for sustainable, responsible business growth of the company.

Viraj Chouhan, on the other hand, will take up a global role, with him being a focal point for all global marketcommunications teams outside the US, covering both internal and external communications. He will serve as the head of the Markets Center of Excellence, providing support and guidance to teams and drive positive outcomes around key themesincluding pep+, Diversity, Engagement & Inclusion, Digital Transformation and Community.

Chouhan has 25+ years of work experience and had joined PepsiCo India in November 2018. He has been an integral part of the India leadership team. As Chief Government Affairs and Communications Officer, Chouhan has been instrumental in building a world class, cohesive function that has had some major wins across all areas of work. He has lent active support to some of the most historic brand PR campaigns for PepsiCo India, including Pepsi Swag, Lay’s Smiles and Heartwork.

On the sustainability side, he has been instrumental in driving the PepsiCo ecosystem in India to collect and dispose 100% of post-consumer plastic waste by December 2021. He has also been front and center on advocacy and government relations, most significantly through the first Covid wave where he ensured business continuity by engaging with multiple levels of Government and sought permissions to manufacture, stock, sell, distribute company products within a few days of the nationwide lockdown.

More recently, he has led the 360-degree stakeholder engagement plan for the execution of the UP Greenfield Foods manufacturing plant in Kosi Kalan, Mathura. The effort also included land purchase and securing hundreds of approvals from the UP state Government.