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  • PepsiCo Positive drives sustainable growth across India

    PepsiCo Positive drives sustainable growth across India

    PepsiCo said on Thursday its PepsiCo Positive (pep+) sustainability programme is driving measurable growth across its global operations, with India emerging as a key market for the initiative’s expansion.

    In its 2025 ESG Performance Update, the company said it has extended regenerative, restorative and protective farming practices to 4.7 million acres across more than 60 countries, achieved 100% water replenishment at company-owned facilities in high-water-risk areas, and cut virgin plastic use in primary packaging by 6%.

    “We’re excited by the momentum we’re building as pep+ continues to transform our business end to end,” said Jim Andrew, PepsiCo’s chief sustainability officer. He said the company is “evolving our product portfolio to offer more choices” while strengthening the business for the long term.

    In India, PepsiCo Positive is being implemented through the company’s Partnership for Progress philosophy, which engages roughly 36,000 farmers across 14 states. The company sources 100% of its chip-grade potatoes locally in the country.

    “In India, our growth is deeply connected to the strength and resilience of the ecosystem around us,” said Yashika Singh, chief corporate affairs officer and sustainability head for PepsiCo India & South Asia, adding that the approach turns interdependence into shared growth across farmers, communities and consumers.

    The company has partnered with start-ups to bring digital tools to its farmer network. Its Mitti Didi initiative offers soil-health diagnostics to thousands of farmers, while the Lay’s Smart Farms programme, developed with Cropin, spans more than 18,000 mapped acres and reaches over 7,000 farmers. Micro-irrigation has reached full adoption across key potato-sourcing regions, including more than 2,300 acres in Uttar Pradesh.

    On water, PepsiCo said its Pune manufacturing facility has cut water use by more than 90%, part of a broader effort that has replenished 23 billion litres of water globally since 2010 and reached about 97 million people with safe water access.

    The company is also advancing circularity in India, complying with local Extended Producer Responsibility rules and redesigning packaging with mono-material and polyolefin-based structures, alongside a shift to 100% rPET bottles for select beverage products. Biomass now makes up 97% of PepsiCo India’s fuel mix.

    On transport, the Kosi–Pataudi EV Green Corridor, run with Kalyani Powertrain Limited and Vayudoot Road Carriers, operates thirteen 32-foot electric trucks covering roughly 6 lakh electric kilometres annually. PepsiCo India has retrofitted more than 800 vehicles for last-mile delivery.

    The company said more than half of its beverage portfolio by volume in India is now low- or zero-sugar, alongside new offerings such as Red Rock Deli baked variants with 40% less fat and millet-based Kurkure Jowar Puffs.

  • Hitachi Vantara commits to validated net-zero by 2040

    Hitachi Vantara commits to validated net-zero by 2040

    Hitachi Vantara, the data infrastructure and hybrid cloud unit of Hitachi Ltd. (TSE: 6501), said on Thursday it has set a validated net-zero target to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions across its global value chain by fiscal year 2040.

    The company said its near- and long-term emissions targets have been independently validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a body that sets standards for corporate climate goals, giving customers and partners assurance the plan aligns with current climate science.

    The announcement comes as data centers face mounting scrutiny over energy use tied to the AI boom. A Congressional Research Service report cited by the company found cooling systems account for 38% to 40% of data center electricity consumption, underscoring the stakes for infrastructure providers.

    “Customers increasingly expect their technology suppliers to demonstrate that their climate commitments are credible and backed by action,” said Simon Ninan, senior vice president of business strategy at Hitachi Vantara. He said the validated net-zero target “holds us accountable to measurable progress.”

    Under the near-term plan, Hitachi Vantara aims to cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions 98% by FY2030 from an FY2024 baseline, and reduce Scope 3 emissions 51% per usable petabyte of storage sold by FY2036. The long-term goal calls for a 97% cut in Scope 3 emissions per petabyte sold by FY2040.

    The company said it reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions 43% in FY2025, helped by sourcing half its energy from renewables. It has also expanded sustainability features across its VSP One storage platform and is aligning products with Hitachi’s Eco-Design Management Guidelines.

    Hitachi Vantara pointed to customer results from its VSP 360 Clear Sight monitoring tool: Turkey’s DestekBank cut data center energy use 25% and total cost of ownership 20%; India’s Malayala Manorama reduced power and cooling costs 70% and rack space 66%; Turkey’s Garanti BBVA estimated its Hitachi Vantara systems use about 30% less energy than rival systems; and Brazil’s Aquiris used the platform to support wastewater treatment operations processing more than 110 million cubic meters annually.

    “Sustainability is most effective when it is embedded into decision-making across the organization,” said Courtney Hadden, sustainability director at Hitachi Vantara, adding that the SBTi validation gives the company “a clear, science-based framework” to track progress.

  • Two weeks after devastating Nepal-Tibet floods: 77 Isha Foundation pilgrims still unaccounted

    Two weeks after devastating Nepal-Tibet floods: 77 Isha Foundation pilgrims still unaccounted

    Two weeks after devastating Nepal-Tibet floods swept through the border region near Gyirong Port, 77 participants of Isha Foundation’s Kailash Manasarovar Sojourn and three volunteers remain unaccounted for, the organization said in an update on Saturday.

    “77 participants of the Kailash Manasarovar Sojourn and 3 volunteers remain unaccounted for. This number is unchanged since our last update. The authorities have indicated that identification work at the site is ongoing and, given the conditions, may take considerable time,” it said in a statement.

    Isha Foundation said it remains in contact with Chinese, Indian and Nepali authorities, as well as embassies representing 19 countries, to track information on those affected by the Nepal-Tibet floods. Identification details and photographs have been shared with search-and-rescue teams where appropriate, the group said.

    Access to the site remains restricted on both sides of the border. Chinese authorities have barred private individuals and organizations from the Gyirong Port area for forensic and rescue operations, while Nepali authorities have similarly restricted access on their side. Isha volunteers stationed in Gyirong Town were required to leave after Chinese authorities limited the area to official personnel only.

    In Nepal, around 25 local volunteers have been coordinating with hospitals, mortuaries, police and government offices, sharing documentation with Nepal Police, Nepal Tourist Police and the Nepali Army to widen search efforts, according to the statement.

    International media were granted access to the site on day 12 of the response, though the organization said subsequent coverage had not produced new factual developments.

    Isha Foundation said it is also assisting families with practical matters, including coordinating with a Nepal tour operator and DHL to ship belongings left behind by participants in Kathmandu. The group operates a hotline and email address across eight countries and said it aims to respond to inquiries within 24 hours.

    The organization reiterated it will not release names, images or personal details of affected individuals to protect their privacy, and pledged to continue sharing verified updates as new information emerges from the Nepal-Tibet floods response.

    Contact: yatra.kailash@ishausa.org

  • Fleetguard blood donation camps collect 773 units in Pune

    Fleetguard blood donation camps collect 773 units in Pune

    Fleetguard Filters Pvt Ltd (FFPL), a manufacturer of filtration solutions for on- and off-highway applications, said its annual blood donation camps across Pune concluded this week with a cumulative collection of 773 units of blood.

    The blood donation camps were held across four locations — Loni, Wadki, Nandur and Baner — as part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, with the final camp at Baner concluding on September 9.

    Loni recorded 270 donations, followed by Nandur with 332 and Wadki with 126, bringing participation across the three manufacturing sites to 728 units. The corporate office in Baner added a further 45 donations, taking the overall total for this year’s blood donation camps to 773.

    The company said the camps, held annually across its Pune offices and manufacturing plants, form part of its broader focus on healthcare and preventive healthcare under its CSR initiatives.

    Niranjan Kisloskar, Managing Director, Fleetguard Filters Pvt Ltd., said the company’s responsibility toward surrounding communities extended beyond its business operations. He said the blood donation camps gave employees a simple but meaningful way to contribute to a cause that could directly support lives in need, adding that participation levels reflected employees’ commitment to social impact.

    Fleetguard said its CSR initiatives are aimed at creating long-term social value through programmes spanning healthcare, education, environment, rural development and community welfare, with healthcare and preventive healthcare — including blood donation and health camps — remaining a core focus area.

    Fleetguard Filters Private Limited, established in 1987, is a filtration solutions provider partnered with Atmus Filtration Technologies, formerly Cummins Filtration U.S.A. The company holds NABL accreditation and serves on- and off-highway applications across multiple industries.

  • Renvion debuts South Delhi waste collection overhaul

    Renvion debuts South Delhi waste collection overhaul

    Renvion Solutions Private Limited said on Thursday it had begun operations on an integrated South Delhi waste collection and transportation project, deploying the city’s first large-scale zero-emission collection fleet under a public-private concession with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

    The project, run through special-purpose vehicle South Delhi MSW Solutions Private Limited, was awarded via a three-stage Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT) tender. It covers 23 wards across roughly 190 square kilometres and is designed to process about 1,400 tonnes of waste daily.

    The South Delhi waste collection network will consolidate door-to-door collection from households, businesses and institutions with street sweeping, drain silt, horticulture and domestic hazardous waste, including sanitary waste, company officials said.

    Renvion said the initiative marks a transformative shift for the capital’s sanitation infrastructure, introducing an all-electric, BS-VI-compliant primary and secondary collection fleet aimed at cutting emissions and noise in dense residential areas. The company added the project would create more than 2,000 jobs in the zone.

    Operations will be backed by a Command & Control Centre using GPS tracking, RFID-tagged vehicles and containers, and weighbridge systems with geofencing and infrared monitoring. Sixty Fixed Compactor Transfer Stations will anchor secondary waste transport.

    Delhi Mayor Pravesh Wahi, speaking at the launch event, said 176 new vehicles were being inducted and that five wards — Green Park, Greater Kailash, Vasant Vihar, Vasant Kunj and Chittaranjan Park — had been prioritized for improved sanitation services. He said source segregation remained essential to the project’s success.

    Ishaan Alla, Chief Executive Officer of Renvion Solutions Private Limited, said the project reflected a shift toward integrated, technology-enabled environmental infrastructure and demonstrated the company’s commitment to building systems that recover value for growing cities.

    Renvion operates in seven countries, processing more than 6 million tonnes of waste annually across over 30 facilities and generating more than 750 million units of green electricity each year through its Waste-to-Energy operations, the company said.

  • Aries Agro CSR initiatives empower rural girls, disabled Indians with tech

    Aries Agro CSR initiatives empower rural girls, disabled Indians with tech

    Aries Agro Limited, a specialty plant nutrition company, said on Sunday it is expanding its Aries Agro CSR initiatives in 2026 through two technology-driven programmes designed to empower underserved communities in education and healthcare.

    The company said the initiatives would directly reach more than 2,000 rural students, 55 visually impaired individuals and 90 upper-limb amputees across India, combining digital infrastructure, assistive devices and rehabilitation support.

    Rural Education Push

    Under the first programme, Aries Agro is setting up computer labs with laptops across eight rural schools in Rajasthan where digital access previously did not exist. Working with IndiVillage Foundation, the company said the initiative will empower 600 girls aged 6 to 16 with training in coding, artificial intelligence, software design and game development, while 1,500 additional students will receive foundational digital literacy training.

    Company officials said the goal is to close the rural digital and gender divide and build workforce-ready skills among young girls in technology fields.

    Assistive Technology for Disabled

    The second programme, according to the company, will empower 55 visually impaired college students and professionals in Lucknow and Ahmedabad with AI-powered smart glasses that convert printed text to audio in 20 languages and support object, currency and sign recognition.

    Separately, Aries Agro is distributing electronically functional prosthetic hands, capable of lifting up to 10 kg, to 90 farmers and daily wage workers in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra who lost limbs in workplace accidents. The programme includes physiotherapy and counselling to help beneficiaries adapt long-term.

    Key partners include Dr. Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University in Lucknow, Torchit Foundation and Inali Foundation, the company said.

    Aries Agro said its broader CSR strategy aims to build lasting capability and infrastructure rather than provide one-time assistance, reinforcing its Aries Agro CSR initiatives as a long-term model for inclusive development.

  • Maharashtra govt, Project Mumbai sign MoU for climate week

    Maharashtra govt, Project Mumbai sign MoU for climate week

    Maharasthra government and Project Mumbai have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen institutional coordination ahead of the second edition of Mumbai Climate Week, scheduled for February 23-26, 2027, at the Jio Convention Centre.

    Under the Mumbai Climate Week MoU, the state’s Environment and Climate Change Department will act as the nodal partner agency and knowledge partner for MCW 2027, supporting Project Mumbai in organising the event and coordinating with government bodies including the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

    The agreement commits the Department to facilitating time-bound meetings between MCW 2027 theme leads and senior officials, including ministries, commissioners and secretaries of the Maharashtra government. Organisers said the partnership aims to build a stronger link between thematic discussions at the event — spanning urban resilience, food systems, energy transition, biodiversity and circularity — and government institutions implementing related policy on the ground. This year’s edition will also examine climate’s intersections with literature, food, sports, cinema and healthcare.

    Pankaja Munde, state Minister of Environment & Climate Change, called the platform significant for bringing together governments, businesses, civil society and citizens to advance climate action, adding that the Department hopes to build on the momentum of the previous edition to strengthen climate leadership across the state.

    Shishir Joshi, CEO and Founder of Project Mumbai and Chief Convenor of Mumbai Climate Week, said the partnership with the state department would help translate discussions at the event into lasting solutions.

    Organisers said the MoU reinforces the institutional framework behind MCW 2027 as Mumbai grapples with climate impacts across infrastructure, mobility, water, waste management, energy and urban resilience.

  • Swiggy, Hero MotoCorp ink exclusive mobility partnership

    Swiggy, Hero MotoCorp ink exclusive mobility partnership

    Swiggy Ltd and Hero MotoCorp on Wednesday announced a strategic partnership giving delivery partners on Swiggy Food Marketplace and Instamart preferential access to two-wheelers, financing and road safety training.

    Under the Swiggy Hero MotoCorp partnership, riders will be able to select a preferred Hero model directly on the Swiggy app and receive exclusive pricing at Hero dealerships. The deal also unlocks customised financing, including loans covering up to 90% of the vehicle’s value at competitive interest rates.

    The companies kicked off the tie-up with a road safety training session at Hero MotoCorp’s Traffic Training Park in Gurugram, part of the automaker’s “Ride Safe India” CSR programme.

    Participants received safety kits containing a full-face helmet, a medical kit and a reflective vest. Hero MotoCorp said the training — combining digital modules with instructor-led sessions — will now be extended to Swiggy riders nationwide, covering hazard anticipation, traffic rule compliance and emergency response.

    Saurav Goyal, Chief Operating Officer of Swiggy’s Food Marketplace, said the initiative reflects the company’s push to make vehicle ownership more accessible for delivery partners through curated pricing and flexible financing.

    Ashutosh Varma, Chief Business Officer at Hero MotoCorp, said the partnership underscores the company’s commitment to affordable mobility and safer roads for India’s gig workforce.

    Registration will run through an API integration linking the Swiggy app to Hero MotoCorp’s systems, with riders able to complete purchases online or at participating dealerships, supported by dedicated customer service.

  • AWL transforms recycled plastic into park benches

    AWL transforms recycled plastic into park benches

    AWL Agri Business Ltd, formerly Adani Wilmar Limited, has adopted and revamped a public park opposite ICB Flora Apartment in Gota, Ahmedabad, under a five-year maintenance agreement with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).

    As part of the initiative, the company transforms 1,100 kg of recycled plastic from Fortune packaging into 43 benches installed across the park, in a move it says reflects its focus on circularity and responsible resource utilisation.

    Senior leaders from AWL Agri Business, along with AMC officials and local corporators, conducted a “Green Walk” through the park, planting trees and distributing saplings to visitors to encourage community participation in sustainability efforts.

    “We, at AWL Agri Business, believe that sustainability is not limited to our operations and products. It is also about creating meaningful impact in the communities where we operate,” said Shrikant Kanhere, Managing Director and CEO, AWL Agri Business Ltd.

    “The benches, made using recycled Fortune packaging material, further reflect our commitment to circularity and responsible resource utilisation.”

    Spread across 19,000 square metres, the park has been developed as a recreational space featuring green landscaping, a children’s play area, a jogging track, gazebos and drinking water facilities, while contributing to local biodiversity.

    The company said the initiative demonstrates how recycled plastic and packaging waste can be given a second life within everyday community infrastructure, forming part of its broader corporate social responsibility strategy in urban environments.

    AWL Agri Business, whose flagship brand is Fortune, operates more than 80 manufacturing facilities across 11 states, including India’s largest single-location refinery in Mundra with a capacity of 5,000 tonnes per day. The company serves more than 135 million households through a network of over 10,000 distributors and 2.6 million retail outlets.

  • NABARD-IMD sign MoU to boost farmer weather data

    NABARD-IMD sign MoU to boost farmer weather data

    National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) signed an MoU on Monday to integrate IMD’s agro-meteorological data products into DiCRA (Data in Climate Resilient Agriculture), an open-source digital platform backed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and NABARD.

    The agreement aims to make weather and climate data freely accessible to farmers, financial institutions, policymakers and researchers across the country, an official statement said.

    The MoU was signed by Sanjeev D Rohilla, Chief General Manager, Department of Climate Action and Sustainability at NABARD, and Bikram Singh, Scientist-G and Head of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Mumbai.

    NABARD Chairman Shaji Krishnan V, IMD Director General of Meteorology Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, and senior officials from both organisations were present at the ceremony.

    Under the deal, IMD will supply district and block-level weather forecasts, agromet advisories, in-situ observations and weather alerts through a dedicated Weather Portal on DiCRA. The data will sit alongside DiCRA’s existing geospatial datasets on soil moisture, vegetation health, crop conditions and climate vulnerability, giving users decision-ready insights at the local level.

    “Climate risk cannot be treated as a standalone issue; it has to be integrated into our development and financing decisions,” Krishnan said, adding that the partnership would help “forewarn both the farmer and the bank.”

    Mohapatra said Indian weather forecasting accuracy has improved by 40 to 50 percent over the past decade, with forecasts now reaching the panchayat level, but that reaching every farmer in a usable format remained the next challenge.

    NABARD will use DiCRA’s open APIs to distribute district-level advisories, seasonal risk alerts and weather-linked vulnerability assessments to credit officers, field staff, researchers and farmers via web, mobile and API channels. The Weather Portal integration also supports NABARD’s own weather portal on DiCRA, which is currently under development.

    NABARD, India’s apex rural development bank, was established in 1982. IMD, founded in 1875, is India’s national meteorological service under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. DiCRA, recognized as a Digital Public Good in 2022, is jointly maintained by NABARD with technical support from UNDP.