Raising concern over a string of tragic incidents involving Indian students in the US, ex-CEO of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi has urged them to stay vigilant, respect local laws and avoid drugs and not to venture out alone at night.
Nooyi in a video, which was posted on X by the Consulate General of India in New York on Thursday, advised Indian students who plan to come to the US to study to avoid activities that can land them in trouble.
“The reason I’m recording this video is to talk to all of you, all you young people who are looking to come to the United States or are here already pursuing your studies, because I’ve been reading and listening to all the news about several examples of Indian students finding themselves in unfortunate situations,” she said in the over 10 minutes long video clip.
“It’s up to you to make sure you do what it takes to remain safe…stay within the law, do not venture out into dark places alone at night, do not engage in drugs or excessive drinking please. All of these are just formulae for disaster,” she cautioned.
Nooyi, a prominent figure on the world stage, also advised the students to carefully consider their choice of university and course.
She noted that coming to the US for higher studies can be a “cultural sea change” for many of the Indian youngsters.
“So when you come to the United States, be very watchful in the initial months of your landing here, in terms of who you select as friends, the new habits you develop and how you cope with cultural changes because it’s very easy to get caught up with all the freedoms you have and think that you should experiment with everything. Be very, very careful.” She noted that while Indian students are known for their hard work and success, there are also incidents of some young people experimenting with and eventually getting addicted to drugs such as Fentanyl.
“This is lethal. Let me repeat, this is lethal,” she said, adding that these are extremely harmful drugs impacting mental and physical health and will “definitely be detrimental to your career prospects here”.
“Please do not verge into this whole area of experimenting with dangerous stuff. Most importantly, do not partake in unlawful activities, understand the law and stay within the law,” she said, pointing out that It was vital to understand the consequences of one's actions.