IN A global first for all PepsiCo markets, Indian doctors will soon begin endorsing the cola giant's Tropicana juice and Quaker Oats. PepsiCo India's snack foods arm Frito-Lay has tied up with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to promote both products, marking a shift of sorts for a company that is synonymous with celebrity endorsements. This will also be the first time that IMA will endorse a food and beverage product. In the past, the medical body, which represents over 1,75,000 doctors in the country, has certified Reckitt Benckiser's Dettol soap, Procter & Gamble's Pampers diapers, and Eureka Forbes' water purifiers. PepsiCo has already signed an MoU with IMA with the endorsement deal spanning three years. The move is in line with PepsiCo's global chief Indra Nooyi's vision to increase the company's health focus to thwart attacks from NGOs that often accuse cola giants of peddling sugary drinks and salty snacks. Lining up a product portfolio that fits the health and wellness trend improves the company's image in the eyes of consumers and investors. Said IMA's immediate past president Dr Ajay Kumar, who negotiated the deal with the company: "After PepsiCo approached us, we verified all their claims. Initially, there was some resistance on whether IMA should endorse a company that also makes colas, but our research showed that Tropicana juices and Quaker have scientifically-proven health benefits.' He added that any changes in the ingredients of both products would mean that IMA's endorsement becomes null. Representatives of the two sides said the deal was non-commercial, but PepsiCo would help IMA in sponsoring events, other public forums, and so on. Alter ingredients and deal is off Said IMA's immediate past president Dr Ajay Kumar, who negotiated the deal with the company: "After PepsiCo approached us, we verified all their claims. Initially, there was some resistance on whether the IMA should endorse a company that also makes colas, but our research showed that Tropicana juices and Quaker have scientifically proven health benefits.' He added that any changes in the ingredients of both products would mean that IMA's endorsement becomes null. Representatives of the two sides said the deal was non-commercial, but PepsiCo would help IMA in sponsoring events, other public forums, and so on. Said PepsiCo VP (health and wellness) Mallika Jankiraman: "We believe the endorsement from a third party will strengthen the overall messaging of both products and lend further credibility to them.'And Pepsi is already busy hard selling its new brand ambassadors