On India's Independence Day

August 15, 2006 1:52 AM

Congratulations! Pepsi-Cola's first woman CEO is anointed on the eve of her country of birth's Independence Day. As the US warns India not to ban Pepsi-Cola implying it may impede future economic progress, and India celebrates Independence from the British under heightened security alerts, one wonders how Indra Nooyi will navigate this press relations nightmare?
posted by infini (38 comments total)

God, I hope India bans Pepsi-cola.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 2:10 AM on August 15, 2006

The first link says Pepsi is the largest US company headed by a woman. The second link says its Archer Daniels Midland.
posted by vacapinta at 2:13 AM on August 15, 2006

Pepsi should hire Blackwater the USA's most comprehensive professional military, law enforcement to go in and well, feed em blackwater. It's the New American way!
posted by Unregistered User at 2:23 AM on August 15, 2006

shades of The Lugano Report?
posted by Unregistered User at 2:39 AM on August 15, 2006

I thought that Joan Crawford was aguably the first female CEO of Pepsi when she was elected to fill her husband's shoes after his death in 1953.
posted by wsg at 2:47 AM on August 15, 2006

...arguably...
posted by wsg at 2:48 AM on August 15, 2006

If it was some shitty third world country trying to ban cola, you bet they'd be added to the axis of evil faster than you can say "WMD".
But India's got a billion inhabitants and nuclear weapons - this is going to go nowhere.
posted by spazzm at 2:50 AM on August 15, 2006

If India bans Pepsi, no one in India who reads MeFi will understand the 'Pepsi Blue' meme we use so much around here.

Which is about the most merciful thing India's Government could do for it's MeFi readers. That's right. All 2 of them.
posted by Effigy2000 at 4:34 AM on August 15, 2006

Oh yeah, because you know, why would it matters that Pepsi and Coca Cola both know there are pesticides in their Indian beverages and yet nothing is done about it and allegations are denied?

Not to mention the illegal water pumping.... Congrats indeed!!!
posted by Sijeka at 4:50 AM on August 15, 2006

"India's Government could do for it's MeFi readers. That's right. All 2 of them."

Ahh, c'mon... gotta be more than two!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:56 AM on August 15, 2006

The long middle finger, indeed.

note: I don't know what I'm talking about...
posted by blue_beetle at 5:52 AM on August 15, 2006

Coincidentally, the new female head of Kraft Foods is a Pepsi alum.

Not from India, however....
posted by IndigoJones at 6:08 AM on August 15, 2006

It kind of bothers me that the united states is interceding on pepsi's behalf. I know that a case can be made that it is probably worth it in terms of tax revenue forgone v. costs of diplomacy but this is not what our government should be for.

I think its silly for india to ban pepsi. But I think it is more ridiculous for the united states to try and intercede on pepsi's behalf. As if pepsi doesn't have more resources than many countries.
posted by I Foody at 7:16 AM on August 15, 2006

OK, can someone please finally say "Pepsi Blue" this time?
posted by fourcheesemac at 7:43 AM on August 15, 2006

but this is not what our government should be for.

Why? It's citizen ('PepsiCo') is having problems with one of its investments abroad. That is a historic case for government intervention.
posted by reverendX at 7:43 AM on August 15, 2006

Welcome to Jennifer Government...
posted by Unregistered User at 8:29 AM on August 15, 2006

I Foody: I believe PepsiCo rang up around $1.36 billion in profit last quarter. That is some very significant tax money. And that certainly justifies some help from the feds in a matter like this.
posted by scottj at 9:29 AM on August 15, 2006

But I think it is more ridiculous for the united states to try and intercede on pepsi's behalf.

I'm more an expert on exporting energy, but the issue here isn't promotion but safety. When a country claims that a product of another country is unsafe (as some indians claim) then its a valid diplomatic issue. The US says pepsi is safe and passes EU testing*. They're not saying its a fun way to spend the afternoon and highly refreshing. There's a big difference between those two statements. For some reason, here in hell we only get Fanta Orange.

*This issue is a bit more complex says the ghost of Antoine Lavoisier. There is no cola standard test, which may be the cause of this. Or this is flak to make cola seem worse for the 'it causes obesity/cancer' crowd.
posted by the ghost of Ken Lay at 9:38 AM on August 15, 2006

I'm having a hard time finding unbiased information on this. What is the consensus? Dangerous pesticide levels hidden by eveeeel corporation, or FUD prompted by local protectionists?
posted by PissOnYourParade at 10:28 AM on August 15, 2006

It kind of bothers me that the united states is interceding on pepsi's behalf. I know that a case can be made that it is probably worth it in terms of tax revenue forgone v. costs of diplomacy but this is not what our government should be for.

I'm sure it bothers a lot of non-American people as well.

I'm having a hard time finding unbiased information on this.

It doesn't matter whether there's pesticides or not. The point is whose decision is it, whose business is it. Who's running India, people elected by Indians or people elected by Americans?
posted by scheptech at 11:08 AM on August 15, 2006

Life on teh Internets is never easy. At the India Resource Center — an anti-globalization group protesting Pepsi and Coke's business practices there — the search results for "Pepsi" returns several apropos ads, including (on refresh), "Pepsi Blue".
posted by cenoxo at 11:16 AM on August 15, 2006

Yes, it has started.
The overthrowing of american cultural imperialism. Instead of US pop and R&B we'll be listening to eurotrash. Movies will come from Hong-Kong and Bollywood. Hamburger will be pronounced Hahmboorger again, the german way. Local wannabe thugs will no longer dress like US-ghetto gangstas but like bad muslims....
etc etc.
A new dawn.
posted by jouke at 11:21 AM on August 15, 2006

For some reason, here in hell...

Ohhh maaaan, does this ever get less funny? That's a real knee-slapper. It sure is. It's funny because your name is "the ghost of Ken Lay" and see, Ken Lay died, and if you believe in Hell, he'd be there, because he was so evil.

What's funny is, see, every time you talk about anything, anywhere on this site, you mention how you're in hell! Whee!!
posted by odinsdream at 11:58 AM on August 15, 2006 [1 favorite]

I kinda like the running gag.
posted by Lord Chancellor at 1:16 PM on August 15, 2006

me too
posted by caddis at 1:19 PM on August 15, 2006

By the way, you go girl. It is great to see some cracks in the glass ceiling.

As for the pesticides issue, the report I said that the water sources used by Pepsi and Coca-Cola are probably contaminated. India appears to not control pesticide use well. This would make it an issue for any beverage produced there as removal of pesticides from water is no easy task.
posted by caddis at 1:45 PM on August 15, 2006

agghhh, "I heard"
posted by caddis at 1:46 PM on August 15, 2006

caddis - yes, but just for the sake of debate on the issue of pesticides in groundwater, I'd like to throw the question out how much of the third world's issues with the same has to do with the Monsanto et al agribusiness marketing strategy?
posted by infini at 2:15 PM on August 15, 2006

I kinda like the running gag.

Me too!! It's sooooooo funny every time. I just wanted to explain it above for anybody who wasn't bright enough to figure it out. Not everybody can be a genius like the ghost of Ken Lay, coming up with this stuff left and right, day after day.
posted by odinsdream at 3:55 PM on August 15, 2006

Does she drink Coca-Cola?
posted by nlindstrom at 4:30 PM on August 15, 2006

If India bans Pepsi, no one in India who reads MeFi will understand the 'Pepsi Blue' meme we use so much around here.

I'm not in India, but I still don't understand it. What's the backstory?
posted by omarr at 5:06 PM on August 15, 2006

it's so Madison Avenue
posted by caddis at 5:21 PM on August 15, 2006

A dissenting voice.
posted by daksya at 5:47 PM on August 15, 2006

Effigy2000: Three. :-)
posted by the cydonian at 7:55 PM on August 15, 2006

Me too!! It's sooooooo funny every time. I just wanted to explain it above for anybody who wasn't bright enough to figure it out. Not everybody can be a genius like the ghost of Ken Lay, coming up with this stuff left and right, day after day.
posted by odinsdream

The best part is that you can only see his posts if you really believe. Nonbelievers can read a thread as if the ghost of Ken Lay's posts aren't even there! Fancy that.

Earlier, Frank Lavin, the US under-secretary for international trade, warned that bans imposed on soft drinks like Coca Cola and Pepsi could blight India's hopes of attracting American investment and result in a setback for the country's economy.
(BBC)

Sure, that's why we hired Frank Lavin. It's right there in his job description.

As Under Secretary for International Trade, Lavin oversees the International Trade Administration (ITA), an agency of 2,500 employees stationed around the world. ITA is responsible for developing U.S. trade policy, identifying and resolving market access issues, administering U.S. trade laws, enhancing the global competitiveness of the U.S. manufacturing and services sectors, and coordinating U.S. trade advocacy efforts on behalf of U.S. business.

Lavin believes that trade is an engine for domestic economic growth, as well as for international political stability, and that ITA has a unique leadership role within the federal government.

For a closer look at our trade with India, check out the national trade data charts.
posted by zennie at 11:24 AM on August 16, 2006

There are pesticides in India's drinking water, and their solution is to ban soft drinks made from that drinking water.

Someone's on the ball over there...
posted by delmoi at 1:59 PM on August 17, 2006

delmoi: water in India is for the most part not potable. Not even after 'treatment' - so every home has some kind of system - whether a UV filter attached to the pipes [eureka forbes], a canister shaped 'filter' or they boil all water for drinking and cooking.

so, if your average indian housewife manages to provide her family with potable water....
posted by infini at 9:22 PM on August 17, 2006

delmoi: Actually, that's what I'm trying hard to understand, and I've found no real primary sources on this.

You see, while the water-table is borked up in many parts, there was some talk that the sweeteners Coke and Pepsi have been using is the real cause.
posted by the cydonian at 2:57 AM on August 21, 2006