In 1978, she arrived in the United States to do her masters in management from Yale, 'on a whim,' as she put it. Like most Indian students, she had little money. For a summer job interview, she bought a $50 suit. In her own words, she looked like 'a complete country bumpkin' in the ill-fitting clothes and snow boots. She recalled there was a 'collective gasp of horror' from the interview panel at the sight of her. She didn't get that job.

In tears, she approached her career development counsellor for help, who told her to be herself. She wore a sari for the next interview, and got the job. Till today, more often than not, you will find one of the most powerful women in corporate America in a sari.

Nooyi began her corporate career in India, as a product manager at Johnson & Johnson and at the textile firm, Mettur Beardsell, Ltd. After her masters, she spent six years directing international corporate strategy projects at the Boston Consulting Group. Her next stop was Motorola, where she served from 1986 to 1990, joining as business development executive for the automotive and industrial electronics divisions, and rising to be vice president and director of corporate strategy and planning. From 1990 to 1994, she served as senior vice president of strategy and strategic marketing for the power and automation technologies company Asea Brown Boveri.

Photograph: SnapsIndia

Also see: Indra Nooyi appointed as PepsiCo CEO

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