Indra Nooyi inducted into Smithsonian portrait gallery

BOX: 23,000 items in collection

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Over the years the gallery collections – which were initially restricted to paintings, prints, drawings and engravings – have grown to over 23,000 items in all media —from daguerreotypes to digital. The gallery adds 150 to 200 per year with 500 to 600 works on public display at any given time, the Washington Post reported.

Washington, November 18

Indian-American former PepsiCo head Indra Nooyi and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos have been inducted into the prestigious Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery for their accomplishments and positive impact on America’s shared history, development and culture.

Founded by Congress in 1962, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery tells the story of America by portraying the people who have made significant contributions to the history, development, and culture of the people of the US. Through the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the portrait gallery presents poets and Presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists whose lives form America’s national identity.

“To be an immigrant, a South Asian immigrant of colour, a woman to be included in the Portrait Gallery… it really says that we are the country where people look for the people who make a positive impact and celebrate them,” Nooyi, 64, told reporters during the induction ceremony on Sunday. “It doesn’t matter what your background, colour, creed, ethnicity is. As long as you’ve made a positive impact to the country, we are going to celebrate you – actually memorialise – which I thought was even more spectacular.”

“I feel very grateful to be making a home here in this country because this portrait gallery is an accolade which I’ve never dreamed of. And it’s heartwarming to see this,” Nooyi said.

Among others included in the portrait gallery were Frances Arnold, Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Earth, Wind and Fire. The portrait of Nooyi has been drawn by artist Jon Friedman and looks like a photograph.

Born in Chennai, Nooyi stepped down on October 2 last year as PepsiCo’s CEO, after 24 years with the company, the last 12 as CEO of the global beverage giant. During her 12-year tenure as chief executive, Nooyi transformed PepsiCo into one of the most successful food and beverage companies worldwide. PTI