Coca-Cola India appoints Ajay Vijay Bathija as VP, Franchise Operations for Southwest Asia

Coca-Cola India announced the appointment of Ajay Vijay Bathija, as Vice-President of Franchise Operations for Southwest Asia (SWA).

Bathija's career journey with The Coca-Cola Company spans nearly 24 years and encompasses a combination of marketing and franchise expertise.

In 1999, Bathija embarked on his professional journey with the Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCBPL) Front Line Sales team and demonstrated consistent growth steadily advancing across different roles and positions within the organisation. He was the Region Manager for the Mekong Delta Region at SabCo Vietnam, in 2005. In this pivotal role, he led sales operations and route-to-market strategies to drive volumes.

He returned to India as Director Marketing for Colas and spearheaded the "Share a Coke" campaign.

He introduced Coca-Cola Zero Sugar for the first time in the INSWA (India and Southwest Asia) markets. He was also instrumental in rejuvenating ThumsUp through integrated marketing campaigns.

As the Country Manager for Bangladesh from 2018-2020, Bathija worked closely with the Bottling Partners to bring Bangladesh among the top three markets in Coca-Cola TM, within The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) globally.

In 2020, he transitioned to Senior Director - Front Line Marketing, where he aligned portfolio strategies, facilitated commercial and marketing execution, and launched ‘Coke Studio’ in Bangladesh. “His pioneering "Is Cooking" Coke with meals experience platform, particularly "Kolkata is Cooking," boosted Coca-Cola TM’s brand love and consumer engagement,” said the company.

Sanket Ray – President, India, and Southwest Asia, said, “With his understanding of business, and growth mindset, Ajay has a proven track record of taking business to newer heights. We are hopeful that with his astute business acumen and collaborative approach he will further the organization’s purpose in the Southwest Asia region.”

Bathija has completed his Masters in Marketing Management from NMIMS, Mumbai. He is a Commerce graduate from the HR College of Commerce and Economics.

Info@BestMediaInfo.com