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

Ajay has an extensive career journey with The Coca-Cola Company which spans nearly 24 years and encompasses a distinct combination of marketing and franchise expertise.

Ajay embarked on his professional journey with the Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd. (HCCBPL) Front Line Sales team in 1999 and has demonstrated consistent growth while steadily advancing across different roles and positions within the organisation.

He was also the Region Manager for the Mekong Delta Region at SabCo Vietnam, in 2005. During his time as Region Manager he led sales operations and route-to-market strategies to drive volumes.

He returned to India as Director Marketing for Colas and spearheaded the ground-breaking "Share a Coke" campaign. He introduced Coca-Cola Zero sugar for the first time in the India and Southwest Asia markets. Ajay 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.

Ajay transitioned to Senior Director - Front Line Marketing in 2020, aligning portfolio strategies, facilitated seamless commercial and marketing execution, and successfully launching 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