John Abraham is one busy actor.

After promoting his upcoming film, Goal at the recent 60th Cannes Film Festival, the actor has been chosen as the official ambassador of the Pepsi and MTV Youth Icon 2007.

At a press conference held in the MTV Studio, Mumbai, on May 29, John discussed issues relating to India's youth.

When asked why he was chosen as the ambassador of the programme, the strapping actor replied, "Because I am young and in tune with the middle class. I've taken trains my entire life. They see me making it, and they think to themselves, I can do it too!"

"The youth hold the real power in India," he added. "I want them to vote out the corrupt politicians and make India the strongest economy in the world."

Finally, when discussing his own idol, John replied, "My dad is the most honest man I know. As an architect, he broke convention by refusing to give or take bribes."

The Pepsi and MTV Youth Icon 2007 is the fifth annual addition of the competition, which is voted on across India using surveys and other data collection techniques. This year's candidates: Orkut, multimedia mobile phones, you (the youth), Abhishek Bachchan and Rang De Basanti. Past winners include star Shah Rukh Khan and industrialist Anil Ambani.