New Coca-Cola India head Sanket Ray has a task cut out for him

Unlike his predecessor, Ray will head a unit that is strategically more important to the parent company and will report directly to top executives at the firm's headquarters

By the turn of the year, Sanket Ray, the chief operating officer of Coca-Cola China, will occupy the corner cabin at Coke’s office located in the swanky One Horizon Center in Gurugram. 

Ray, who is in his late-40s, will be one of the youngest presidents of the entity in recent times, when he takes over from T Krishnakumar (KK), president of Coca-Cola’s India and South­west Asia unit, on January 1, 2021.

Ray’s elevation comes with both big challenges and opportunities. Unlike his predecessor, Ray will head a unit that is strategically more important to the parent company and will report directly to