MakeMyTrip Limited (NASDAQ: MMYT), India’s leading online travel company today announced the appointment of Vipul Prakash as Chief Operating Officer for MakeMyTrip and Goibibo. In this role, Vipul will be responsible for developing and executing  strategic direction and priorities of the company. He joins MakeMyTrip from PepsiCo where he was last serving as Senior Vice President – Beverage Category for PepsiCo India region.

Commenting on the appointment, Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and CEO-India, MakeMyTrip, said, “We are excited to welcome Vipul to our leadership team. His rich experience of two decades at PepsiCo spanning geographies, deep understanding of consumer market and expertise in industry leading operational practices are truly invaluable. We are confident that his proven track record and extensive experience will extend MakeMyTrip’s upward trajectory.”

Speaking about his new role, Vipul Prakash, COO - MakeMyTrip, said, “MakeMyTrip is an iconic brand that has played a defining role in shaping the online travel space in India. I am extremely energised to take up my new role and have been truly impressed with the company’s institutional expertise and relentless focus on serving customers better. I look forward to drive the next phase of innovation and growth through operational excellence.

Prior to joining MakeMyTrip, Vipul was associated with PepsiCo for 20 years. In his previous role, he was responsible for delivering revenue growth, share and brand equity for PepsiCo’s beverage portfolio of five brands. Vipul joined PepsiCo in 1998 and held various positions in marketing and franchise, at sector and global levels. In 2007, he relocated to the US, where he spent three years on the International Beverages Marketing team and moved to Dubai in 2010 to head the Foods and Beverages Innovation department for PepsiCo Asia, Middle East and Africa before moving back to India.

Vipul holds a post-graduate diploma in management from IIM Ahmedabad and a mechanical engineering degree from IIT Delhi.