PepsiCo says its global sustainability programme, PepsiCo Positive (pep+), is delivering measurable business and environmental progress, with India emerging as a key market for further expansion. According to the company’s 2025 ESG Performance Update, regenerative, restorative and protective farming practices have been extended to 4.7 million acres across more than 60 countries, while PepsiCo has achieved 100 per cent water replenishment at company-owned facilities in high-water-risk areas and reduced virgin plastic use in primary packaging by 6 per cent. In India, the programme operates under the company’s “Partnership for Progress” approach, engaging around 36,000 farmers across 14 states. PepsiCo said it sources all of its chip-grade potatoes locally in India and has partnered with start-ups to introduce digital tools across its farmer network. Initiatives such as “Mitti Didi” provide soil-health diagnostics to farmers, while the “Lay’s Smart Farms” programme, developed with Cropin, covers more than 18,000 mapped acres and reaches over 7,000 farmers. Micro-irrigation has also been fully adopted across key potato-sourcing regions, including more than 2,300 acres in Uttar Pradesh. On water conservation, PepsiCo said its Pune manufacturing facility has reduced water use by more than 90 per cent. Globally, the company has replenished 23 billion litres of water since 2010 and helped provide access to safe water for about 97 million people. PepsiCo executives said the company’s growth in India is closely linked to the resilience of farmers, communities and the wider ecosystem.
