(February 5, 2025) In the heart of Chennai, in a conservative Tamil Brahmin household, two sisters grew up playing strategic games at the dinner table, dreaming of possibilities beyond their immediate world. Their mother, a homemaker without a college education, would set them challenges: “If you were the Prime Minister, what would you do?” The sisters, Chandrika and Indra, would debate passionately, crafting arguments and defending their grand visions. Little did they know that their childhood contests would prepare them for global leadership, in business and the other in music.
Indra Nooyi (left) and Chandrika Tandon (right) with their grandfather and brother
Chandrika Tandon’s recent Grammy win for her album Triveni has once again brought the sisters into the spotlight. A trailblazer in both business and music, Chandrika made history as the first Indian-American woman to become a partner at McKinsey & Company. Beyond her corporate success, she and her husband, Ranjan Tandon, made waves with the largest donation in the US, a $100 million to the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering, now named the NYU Tandon School of Engineering leading to the renaming of its engineering school in their honour. Meanwhile, Indra Nooyi carved her own path in global leadership, serving as PepsiCo’s CEO from 2006 to 2018. A consistent presence on lists of the world’s most powerful women, she remains a sought-after advisor and a champion for women in leadership.
Born in 1954, Chandrika is a year older than Indra. At 71, she won her first Grammy this Sunday, drawing congratulations from all corners. Throughout their respective journeys, the Chennai-born Indian American sisters have consistently brought pride to India.
Chandrika Tandon with Indra Nooyi, former VP Kamala Harris and PM Modi
The defiant path of Chandrika Tandon
Chandrika Tandon was the elder of the two, raised with the expectation that she would marry young and settle into a traditional life. But Chandrika had other plans. When her mother insisted that she stay home, she went on a hunger strike for two days until her headmistress intervened, convincing her mother to let her pursue higher education. This relentless determination would become the hallmark of her life.
Chandrika excelled at Madras Christian College, and though she initially wanted to become a lawyer like her grandfather, a professor nudged her toward business. That led her to the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, where she was one of only eight women in her class. From there, she made her way to Citibank in war-torn Beirut and later to New York, where she became the first Indian-American woman to be named a partner at McKinsey & Company.
Yet, despite her success in the corporate world, something tugged at her heart, and that was music. Her mother had been a musician, and melodies filled her childhood home. Years later, for her father-in-law’s 90th birthday, Chandrika recorded a set of Indian chants as a gift. That humble recording ignited a passion, leading to her first album, Soul Call, which received a Grammy nomination. Over the years, from 2009 to 2024, she released six albums, winning her first Grammy for the latest one.
Chandrika Tandon with Wouter Kellerman Eru Matsumoto
At 70, Chandrika Tandon achieved the milestone she never anticipated while growing up in Chennai. She won a Grammy Award under the category for the Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album for Triveni, a collaboration with South African flutist Wouter Kellerman and Japanese-origin cellist Eru Matsumoto. Standing on stage in Los Angeles, she declared, “Music is love, music is light, music is laughter.” It was a defining moment for a woman who had already broken barriers in business, philanthropy, and education.
She expressed her gratitude in her acceptance speech in Los Angeles, saying, “Thank you for the music, and thank you to everyone who creates it.” Her win came on a dazzling night when Beyoncé took home Album of the Year and Kendrick Lamar secured Record of the Year, both earning multiple accolades.
Indra Nooyi: The visionary CEO
If Chandrika’s journey is one of defying norms, Indra Nooyi’s was one of redefining them. Indra followed her sister’s footsteps into Madras Christian College. But she had a rebellious streak—playing in an all-girls rock band, excelling at cricket, and daring to dream beyond the boundaries imposed on her. Her ambitions took her to IIM Calcutta and later to Yale School of Management, where she became one of the few Indian women in an Ivy League business school.
Her rise in the corporate world was meteoric. After stints at Johnson & Johnson and Motorola, she joined PepsiCo in 1994. By 2006, she had become the CEO, leading one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies. Under her leadership, PepsiCo diversified its portfolio, acquiring Tropicana, Gatorade, and Quaker Oats while focusing on healthier product lines.
Indra Nooyi with her autobiography, ‘My Life in Full’
Indra’s leadership was shaped by her deeply personal philosophy of “Performance with Purpose.” She wasn’t just interested in profits; she wanted PepsiCo to contribute positively to society. She restructured the company’s approach to sustainability, healthier food choices, and workforce diversity, leaving a legacy that earned her a place among the most powerful women in the world, consistently ranked by Fortune and Forbes.
Sisterhood and legacy
Despite their different paths, the sisters remained deeply connected. Chandrika once described Indra as “the smartest person I know,” while Indra frequently credited Chandrika for instilling a fearless pursuit of ambition in her. Their bond was evident in their mutual support. Chandrika sang at Indra’s book launch, and Indra championed her sister’s musical endeavours.
For the Tandon-Nooyi sisters, success was never about individual achievement alone. Chandrika’s philanthropy, from funding educational institutions to preserving cultural heritage through music, mirrors Indra’s mission to create a more responsible corporate world. Both have shattered glass ceilings in male-dominated spaces while remaining deeply tied to their Indian heritage.
Chandrika Tandon (second from right) and Indra Nooyi (fifth from right) with their family
Their story is not just one of accolades, but of resilience, reinvention, and an unbreakable familial bond. Two sisters, born into a world that tried to contain them, instead rewrote the rules through the language of business, philanthropy and the universal power of music.
Trailblazer women in corporate America
Chandrika and Indra’s journeys reflect a larger movement of Indian-origin women reshaping leadership in corporate America. In boardrooms across the U.S., more women of Indian heritage are breaking barriers, bringing fresh perspectives to business, innovation, and strategy. Their rise is not just about individual success but about paving the way for future generations, championing diversity, equity, and inclusion in some of the world’s most influential companies. As trailblazers in their respective fields, Chandrika and Indra embody this spirit of excellence through music, philanthropy, corporate strategy and advocacy. Their stories stand as powerful reminders that ambition, when nurtured with determination and purpose, can transcend borders and inspire change on a global scale.
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