Devyani Rajya Laxmi Rana
Vice President –Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Coca‑Cola India & South West Asia
Devyani Rajya Laxmi Rana is Vice President, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability for India and Southwest Asia. Devyani has over 25 years of work experience in government and corporate affairs, strategic business advocacy, risk management, communication excellence, corporate social responsibility and sustainability. Her key focus areas include advocating for policies, legislation, trade agreements and regulations, corporate relations, and investment initiatives in India and the Asian subcontinent.
She joined Caterpillar Inc. in 2014 and was the Government and Corporate Affairs Director for India and the Asian subcontinent. During her time at Caterpillar, she mitigated business risks by serving as an ambassador and advocating against policies and legislation that could negatively impact the organization, while focusing on generating maximum business value and enhancing corporate reputation. She successfully developed effective strategies, focused on resources to maximize impact in the region on infrastructure, sustainability, and trade, which achieved business profitability, increased footprint, and successfully expanded manufacturing operations for domestic and export markets.
Devyani was a crucial stakeholder in the corporate strategy and business growth teams. She led organizational advocacy related to international trade policy and legislation, including tariffs, customs, export controls, sanctions, and other regulatory issues that impacted the flow of goods, services, data, and investment.
She led internal, external, and brand communications initiatives that delivered positive business outcomes and contributed to the organization. She creates the vision and leads change by setting challenging targets and prioritizing to achieve results with integrity and strong core values.
Devyani managed a diverse CSR portfolios to improve workforce readiness, focus on STEM education, restore natural infrastructure, and provide access to essential services for India and the Asian subcontinent. She set strategic goals and objectives to accelerate the CSR mandate and grow various programs and partnership portfolios year over year. She collaborated with multiple ministries and multi-sector stakeholders and engaged in thought leadership sessions to establish sustainable programs.
Devyani represented the organization’s interests and priorities with various trade associations such as ASSOCHAM, FICCI, AMCHAM, USISPF & ICEMA, etc. She successfully led the Construction and Mining industry’s advocacy for multiple policies in India. Before joining Caterpillar Inc, Devyani worked with the United Nations, World Economic Forum, non-profit organizations, and the private sector.
A native of Nepal, Devyani has a Master’s degree in Sciences (Development Economics & Development Management DESTIN) from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE); Master’s degree in Arts (International Relations & Political Science) from Tribhuvan University, Nepal; Bachelor of Arts Honours degree (Political Science) from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University, India.
She has one son, Adidev, and lives in New Delhi. She enjoys spending quality time with her family, is a voracious reader, relishes cooking and likes trekking and travelling.