Question 1

True or false: As CEO, Nooyi banned all junk food from PepsiCo's product line.

Accepted Answer

False. She did push for healthier options like baked chips and Quaker Oats, but PepsiCo continued selling sodas and full-calorie snacks under her leadership.

Question 2

True or false: Nooyi wrote a bestselling memoir titled 'My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future'.

Accepted Answer

True. Her memoir was published in 2021 and became a New York Times bestseller, focusing on her career and advocacy for paid leave and childcare.

Question 3

True or false: Indra Nooyi was a competitive cricket player in her youth.

Accepted Answer

False. Though she loved cricket, Nooyi was not a competitive player. She played informally with friends and siblings growing up.

Question 4

True or false: Indra Nooyi was born in Chennai, India, and moved to the U.S. at age 18.

Accepted Answer

False. She was born in Chennai but moved to the U.S. at age 23 to attend Yale's School of Management, not at 18.

Question 5

True or false: Indra Nooyi was the first woman to serve as CEO of PepsiCo.

Accepted Answer

True. She became CEO in 2006, succeeding Steven Reinemund. No other woman had led PepsiCo before her, making her the first female chief executive of the company.

Question 6

True or false: Indra Nooyi introduced Gatorade and Quaker Oats to PepsiCo's portfolio.

Accepted Answer

True. As PepsiCo's chief strategist, Indra Nooyi was instrumental in the 2001 acquisition of Quaker Oats, which added both Gatorade and Quaker Oats to the company's portfolio.

Question 7

True or false: Indra Nooyi grew up in a wealthy family with a private chef in India.

Accepted Answer

False. Nooyi grew up in a middle-class Tamil Brahmin household in Chennai, India. Her mother was a homemaker, and the family lived modestly.

Question 8

True or false: Indra Nooyi earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Accepted Answer

False. She earned an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and a master's from Yale, not Harvard Business School.

Question 9

True or false: Indra Nooyi stepped down as PepsiCo CEO because of declining company profits.

Accepted Answer

False. She left in 2018 on her own terms, after 12 years of strong performance, to pursue board roles and writing.

Question 10

True or false: Indra Nooyi earned an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta.

Accepted Answer

True. After graduating from Madras Christian College, Nooyi earned a Post Graduate Diploma in Management (equivalent to an MBA) from IIM Calcutta in 1976, one of India's premier business schools.

Question 11

True or false: Indra Nooyi was a lead guitarist in an all-girl rock band during her college days.

Accepted Answer

True. Nooyi played lead guitar in an all-girl rock band in India. She contemplated a music career but opted for business school after realizing she couldn't support herself as a musician.

Question 12

True or false: Nooyi played lead guitar in an all-female rock band during college.

Accepted Answer

False. This is a fun myth but false. Nooyi was a serious student and played cricket recreationally. She never joined a rock band.

Question 13

True or false: Nooyi played lead guitar in an all-female rock band in college.

Accepted Answer

True. At the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, she played lead guitar in a rock band called 'The Supersonics'.

Question 14

True or false: Nooyi banned her top executives from using private jets to cut costs.

Accepted Answer

True. In 2012, she grounded all executive private jets and sold the company's fleet, saving millions and leading by example.

Question 15

True or false: Nooyi once turned down an offer to run the World Bank.

Accepted Answer

True. In 2007, she declined a U.S. Treasury Department offer to nominate her as World Bank president, preferring to stay at PepsiCo.

Indra Nooyi Trivia Questions