Jayanti Khan Chauhan, Carrying The Weight Of Water

Few brands are as embedded in India’s daily life as Bisleri. As Vice Chairperson of Bisleri International, Jayanti Khan Chauhan leads a legacy defined by trust and scale, modernising operations while safeguarding the fundamentals that built them. Over the past decade, she has strengthened systems, introduced a premium lens through Vedica Himalayan Spring Water, and anchored sustainability in practice over promise.

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ELLE: What does it mean to step into the leadership of something that already occupies such a strong place in everyday life?

Jayanti Khan Chauhan (JKC): It means taking responsibility for something that goes far beyond a conventional business. It is a brand that has become part of the everyday lives of millions of Indians over the decades. That kind of trust, built patiently over time, creates a legacy with its own momentum and a deep sense of responsibility. When I first stepped into the role, it was a period of deep learning and discovery. Over the years, with the right team in place and more than a decade of hands-on leadership, the business today runs with confidence and clarity.

ELLE: You’ve spoken about modernising legacy systems rather than dismantling them. How do you decide what to protect and what to evolve?

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JKC: When you lead a legacy brand like Bisleri, the focus is on sharpening it for the future, because the brand love is already established. Carrying forward a brand built by my grandfather and father gives me a deep sense of pride and responsibility. That thinking has guided how we’ve made Bisleri more youth-forward through campaigns like #DrinkItUp and #DrinkItUp 2.0, where hydration was reimagined to connect with contemporary culture. Sustainability is embedded into how we operate through our Greener Promise, from conserving more water than we use to recycling plastic.

ELLE: With Vedica Himalayan Spring Water, you’ve explored a more premium, purpose-driven narrative around hydration. What prompted that shift in thinking?

JKC: Vedica Himalayan Spring Water is deeply rooted in the same spirit of innovation that my father (Ramesh Chauhan) brought to Bisleri – from introducing packaged drinking water in India to building a brand that became synonymous with the category. Vedica was launched in 2005, when natural spring water was largely unheard of in India. When I joined the business, I brought in learnings from my travels and observations of how spring water is positioned internationally. From the outset, Vedica was designed to operate differently from conventional packaged water. We were deliberate about building it as a premium brand, with its own language, design sensibility, and consumption environments.

ELLE: What were some early lessons that helped you move from being seen as next generation to being recognised as a decision-maker?

JKC: One of the earliest lessons for me was that credibility comes from clarity of thinking and ownership of decisions, not from position or background. I’ve always been comfortable questioning ideas and approaches, because progress comes from asking why something is done a certain way. Over time, I have realised that recognition as a decision-maker is won when people see consistency in judgement and accountability in action.

ELLE: The ELLE Collective recognises individuals shaping culture and commerce in meaningful ways. What does being part of this list represent for you at this stage of your journey?

JKC: I’m honoured to be recognised by the ELLE Collective at this stage of my journey. It’s been a fulfilling path, though not always an easy one, and I hope it encourages more people, especially women, to trust themselves and give it a genuine try. 

The ELLE Collective brings together voices shaping culture, style, and the future. A curated community of individuals leading with purpose and influence.

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