PHALODI, India, April 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ —
`1 hot air balloon, 19,400 feet and a single chance`
`Mountain Dew, a PepsiCo product, powers Lt. Col. Satyendra Verma (Retd) for a high-altitude jump, as he covers 10 kms in his wingsuit`
As a brand that always pushes one to rise above the ordinary, take up challenges and emerge victorious, Mountain Dew is celebrating stories of real life Indian heroes through its ‘Risk Takers of India’ platform. The brand is all set to honor India’s most resilient personalities, each of whom embodies the spirit of risk-taking and breaking away from the ordinary.
(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/676854/Col_Satyendra_Verma_Mountain_Dew_Risk_Taker.jpg )
One such hero, who has risen above fear is Lt. Col. Satyendra Verma (Retd), Mountain Dew Risk Taker – India’s first BASE Jumper and one of the nation’s most experienced wingsuit pilots. Fueled by an eternal desire to step out of his comfort zone and make his mark, Lt. Col Verma’s love for extreme adventure sports has made him one of the few people in the country to engage in wingsuit flying, where a person glides through air using a wingsuit which adds surface area to the human body to enable a significant increase in lift.
Illustrating the brand’s philosophy of pushing boundaries to achieve distinction, Lt. Col. Verma jumped from a hot air balloon at 19,400 feet altitude, flew for more than 4 minutes using just his wingsuit covering a distance of 10 kms before deploying the parachute to land safely. He is the first Indian to attempt wingsuit flying from such high altitude with an oxygen system.
Multiple challenges in the endeavor included organizing a platform to jump from 20,000 feet in India where skydiving and skydiving aircrafts are not a norm as well as managing technical support & high-altitude survival equipment to aid the jump (oxygen is needed to jump at heights beyond 12,000 feet).
Elaborating on the accomplishment, Naseeb Puri, Director, Mountain Dew, PepsiCo India, said, “Mountain Dew has always encouraged youth to have the courage to break out of the ordinary and excel in whatever they do. ‘Risk Takers of India’ is our way of honouring people who have taken extraordinary risks. We want to bring these stories to the masses in an endeavour to inspire the nation. We are proud to partner with Lt. Col Satyendra Verma for this historic feat. He truly echoes the spirit of Mountain Dew and we are certain his journey will inspire generations to come.”
Lt. Col. Satyendra Verma, said, “Adventure sports like skydiving, BASE jumping and wingsuit flying are yet to gain prominence in India. The lack of basic infrastructure needed for them in terms of policies, aircrafts and recognition by government departments holds back tremendous talent and adventurous spirit of this country. Hence to get permissions, training and manage a platform to jump at 20,000 feet, in itself was an expedition. I am thankful to Mountain Dew for helping me on this journey. For me, the brand has always been synonymous with breaking out of the ordinary. This record is merely the beginning of many and Mountain Dew has helped me break the mould. I look to improve all the wingsuit records (absolute distance, longest time, highest speed) in the coming months but this one jump was very special. I am hopeful that our combined efforts will encourage the country’s youth to look beyond the ordinary and embrace the thrill of overcoming fear.”
About PepsiCo India:
PepsiCo entered India in 1989 and has grown to become one of the largest MNC food and beverage businesses in India. PepsiCo India has been consistently investing in the country and has built an expansive beverage and snack food business supported by 62 plants across foods and beverages. PepsiCo India’s diverse portfolio includes iconic brands like Pepsi, Lay’s, Kurkure, Tropicana 100%, Gatorade and Quaker.
PepsiCo’s growth in India has been guided by ‘Performance with Purpose’ – our fundamental belief that the success of our company is inextricably linked to the sustainability of the world around. We believe that continuously improving the products we sell, operating responsibly to protect our planet and empowering people around the world is what enables PepsiCo to run a successful global company that creates long-term value for society and our shareholders. In 2009, PepsiCo India achieved a significant milestone, by becoming the first business to achieve ‘Positive Water Balance’ in the beverage world, a fact verified by Deloitte Touché Tohmatsu India Pvt. Ltd. The company has been Water Positive since then. For more information, please visit http://www.pepsicoindia.co.in.
For further information contact:
Priyanka Maheshwari
Account Manager, Edelman India Pvt. Ltd
+91-9769322605
Priyanka.Maheshwari@edelman.com
Deepanshi Tandon
+91-99879-39133
Deepanshi.tandon@edelman.com
SOURCE PepsiCo India
Leave a Reply