NEW YORK: PepsiCo's Indra K. Nooyi has been elected Chairman of the US-India Business Council (USIBC) - the first woman to ever serve at the helm of this premier business advocacy organization. The USIBC comprises 250 of the largest US companies investing in India, joined by more than two dozen global Indian companies.

The mandate of USIBC is to deepen two-way trade and strengthen US-India commercial ties. "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 U.S.-India partnership," said departing-Chairman Charles "Chip" Kaye. Kaye is Co-President of Warburg Pincus, the New York-headquartered private equity firm that has been a consistent and successful investor in India since economic liberalization. "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 U.S.-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. As its chairman, Chip Kaye launched bold USIBC initiatives supporting civilian nuclear cooperation, clean energy, improved public health, environmental technology transfer, and more robust trade - capturing the attention of policy-makers in both Capitals and setting a new benchmark for organizations striving to promote deeper US-India ties.

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."

Since 1989, PepsiCo has been building businesses that provide direct or indirect employment for more than 60,000 people, investing more than $700 million in India. PepsiCo has also been an active supporter of Indian agriculture, working in partnership with thousands of farmers in Punjab and other states to refine their farming techniques and significantly improve their yields. The company also supports a range of social and environmental programs in Indian communities.

The USIBC, formed in 1975 at the request of the Government of India and the US Government to advance commercial ties between the world's two largest free-market democracies, is hosted under the aegis of the US Chamber of Commerce. The US Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.