People in power need to call out sexism at workplace, says corporate icon Indra Nooyi

Renowned corporate icon Indra Nooyi says bosses need to tackle any instances of sexism or racism firmly and prevent such behaviour in the boardroom.

“Men talking over women is a prevalent issue in workplaces and people in power need to call out such instances of sexism at the workplace,” she said, adding that "we need to ensure that there are no sharp elbows edging women out. If those in power see bad behaviour, it has to be nipped in the bud there and then. This will send a signal to others”.

Speaking with Business Today’s Udayan Mukherjee, Nooyi opened up about the challenges she faced on her journey to shattering the glass ceiling in corporate America. The former chief of retail giant PepsiCo believes social structures are beginning to change now and the situation today is much better for young women in the workplace.

Nooyi says she has bet big on India’s growth story, with incredible tailwinds and hunger for growth. However, she is of the view that India needs to do more for women. "There is a gap between good Indian laws and their execution,” she said.  

The ace marketer is of the view that the real emerging market in India is its women. “India may be a developing market, but the biggest emerging market opportunity within India is women,” Nooyi said.

Nooyi, who now is on the board of directors of retail behemoth Amazon and also the International Cricket Council's (ICC) first independent female board member, makes a case for more women in business.

“Women should not feel discriminated. Currently, only 9 per cent of Fortune 500 companies are run by women chief executives,” she said. Talking about the design ethos that helped her remake PepsiCo, Nooyi said that a meeting with Apple’s Steve Jobs helped her put design at the core of everything she did. “Design helped us remake PepsiCo and the credit goes to him. He got me going,” she said.

Also read: Younger generation shaping response to climate change with innovative thinking, says Indra Nooyi

Also read: 'Make climate change personal', PepsiCo's former CEO Indra Nooyi to Indian students