Hindustan Coca‑Cola Beverages, the Indian bottling partner of Coca‑Cola, has appointed Hemant Rupani as its new Chief Executive Officer. With over two decades of cross-industry experience and leadership roles in global consumer goods, Rupani transitioned from his position as President of Mondelez South East Asia to lead one of India’s largest beverage companies.
In his new role, Rupani will be responsible for steering HCCB’s strategic growth across India, overseeing production, marketing, and distribution at scale. He succeeds Juan Pablo Rodriguez, the outgoing CEO, and is expected to build on HCCB’s strong financial and operational performance in recent years.
Rupani brings a track record of transformational leadership from his time at Mondelez, where he oversaw markets in Southeast Asia and Africa. Prior to this, he held pivotal roles with companies such as PepsiCo, Vodafone, Britannia, and Infosys. His diverse background in consumer goods, telecommunications, and consulting equips him to guide HCCB through evolving consumer dynamics, shifting retail formats, and sustainability-focused operations.
HCCB serves over seven thousand employees across India, operating one of the world’s largest non-alcoholic ready-to-drink (NARTD) bottling networks. Under Rupani’s leadership, the company is expected to intensify its focus on premiumization, rural market penetration, digital innovation, and eco-conscious packaging.
Industry insiders anticipate that his leadership will bring renewed energy to HCCB’s ambitions—balancing volume growth with margin improvement and deepening partnerships with retail, e-commerce, and supply-chain players. As consumer preferences evolve, Rupani’s mandate centers on driving agility, brand innovation, and responsible operations in one of the world’s most competitive beverage markets.
Rupani’s appointment reflects HCCB’s long-term strategy to reinforce its position in both urban and rural India, expand in emerging channels, and champion sustainability through efficient manufacturing and community engagement. His expertise across markets and industries positions the company to address growth opportunities and regulatory expectations head-on.
With Rupani now at the helm, HCCB is poised to strengthen its footprint in India—combining operational execution, marketing muscle, and consumer insight to lead in both growth and impact.
