Coca-Cola appoints Ajay Vijay Bathija as Vice President of franchise operations in Southwest Asia

Coca-Cola announced the appointment of Ajay Vijay Bathija, as Vice President of Franchise Operations for Southwest Asia (SWA). Ajay's extensive career journey with The Coca-Cola Company spans nearly 24 years and encompasses a distinct combination of marketing and franchise expertise, reads a press release.                                  

In 1999, Ajay embarked on his professional journey with the Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd. (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.

According to the press release, he returned to India as Director Marketing for Colas and spearheaded the ground-breaking "Share a Coke" campaign. He successfully, 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, resulting in enhanced brand love.

As the Country Manager for Bangladesh from 2018-2020, Ajay worked closely with the Bottling Partners to bring Bangladesh amongst the top 3 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 seamless commercial and marketing execution, and successfully launched the most celebrated musical franchise of the Company, '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.

Commenting on the appointment, 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."

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