Founder & Chairman – Katra Group
The Katra Group was founded by Ramesh and Katharin Vangal in 2001. Katra’s mission is to lead the India arbitrage – to be a global bridge that delivers the India advantage in both the `from India’, and the `for India’ sectors. The group employs over 1,000 people worldwide and has a network of over 10,000 farmers in India. The Katra Group has an integrated vision encompassing Wellness, (Ayurveda and Nutraceuticals), Agriculture (Integrated Supply Chain for Fresh Fruits & Vegetable) and value added Food businesses. In addition, the Katra Group has investments in other areas including specialist marine logistics solutions and real estate.
Ramesh started his career with Procter & Gamble (1980 – 1985) in Geneva, Switzerland with marketing assignments in Europe, Middle East, Central America, the Caribbean and West Africa.
Ramesh then moved to PepsiCo (1985 – 1997). He was President, Asia Pacific for PepsiCo Foods and a Member of PepsiCo’s Worldwide Executive Council. Prior to this role, he led PepsiCo’s landmark entry into India in the early 1990s. This was widely considered as a pioneer in India’s opening of Foreign Direct Investment. Ramesh was awarded Pepsi-Cola High Performance Leadership Award in 1992.
From 1997, Ramesh was the Chairman of Seagram – Asia Pacific, (now Pernod Ricard) and part of its global executive board. He was also the company’s joint venture partner in their India business.