Who Is Ravi Jaipuria, The Billionaire Business Tycoon Who Is Also Known As The 'Cola King' Of India?

Also known as the ‘Cola King’ of India, business tycoon Ravi Jaipuri is one of the richest persons in India.

NEW DELHI: Ravi Jaipuria is a billionaire Indian businessman and promoter of two listed companies - Varun Beverages Ltd and Devyani International Ltd. Ravi Jaipuria, presides over RJ Corp. which is into everything from beverages and fast food to healthcare and education. Ravi Jaipuri is also known as the ‘Cola King’ of India.

Background

Born in 1953, Ravi Jaipuria completed his education in the country and later went to the US to pursue business management. The youngest of three brothers, Jaipuria returned home in 1985 to join the family business as a bottler for US soft drink maker Coca-Cola. Following a division of the family business in 1987, Jaipuria received one bottling plant as his share and subsequently switched to working with PepsiCo – Coca-Cola’s rival American soft drink maker. Ravi Jaipuria is married and has two children – son Varun Jaipuria, who is the Executive Director of RJ Corp, and daughter Devyani, who manages Devyani International Ltd.

Ravi Jaipuria’s Business Ventures

The business tycoon cemented his hold over the beverages market in India ever since he took over his brother’s lucrative Pepsico Delhi franchise for an undisclosed amount. Jaipuria’s company - Varun Beverages, which he named after his son - is one of the American Beverages giant PepsiCo’s largest bottlers outside the United States. Devyani International Ltd is ‘Yum’ Brands' largest franchisee in India and one of the country's biggest chains of quick service restaurants.  It also operates brands like KFC, Pizza Hut, and Costa Coffee in India. Devyani International Ltf, which got listed in August 2021, has significantly contributed to his rising fortune. Several notable brands like Pepsi, Seven-up, Mirinda Orange, Mountain Dew, Tropicana Juices, and PepsiCo are manufactured and distributed by Jaipuria’s company RJ Corp. He also also holds minority stakes in listed budget hotel chain Lemon Tree and in healthcare firm Medanta.

Winner Of Several Prestigious Awards 

He is the recipient of several prestigious awards. He was given PepsiCo’s award for International Bottler of the Year in 1997. The industrialist was also acknowledged at the PHD Annual Awards for Excellence 2018, where he received the ‘Distinguished Entrepreneurship Award’.

Net Worth

With over Rs 73000 crore net worth, Ravi Jaipuria is India’s 18th and the world’s 333rd richest person, according to Forbes. As of April 2023, Jaipuria’s net worth was estimated to be around USD 8.9 billion.