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Category: Sustainable World

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • SBI, Bisleri partner to boost plastic waste management

    SBI, Bisleri partner to boost plastic waste management

    State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, has signed a Letter of Association with Bisleri International to boost plastic waste management across its branches and offices nationwide.

    Under the agreement, Bisleri will conduct training and awareness sessions for SBI employees and housekeeping staff, and will collect used plastic waste from SBI premises for recycling, the companies said in a joint statement.

    The tie-up falls under Bisleri’s “Bottles for Change” programme, through which the packaged water maker works with institutions, housing societies, corporates and communities to encourage responsible plastic waste management.

    The companies said the partnership is intended to support India’s shift toward a circular economy and aid the country’s target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.

    Ravi Ranjan, SBI’s Managing Director for Risk, Compliance and Stressed Assets Resolution, said the collaboration was a step toward embedding sustainable practices into the bank’s workplace culture.

    “We believe that when employees are empowered to make responsible choices, that awareness extends well beyond our offices and into the communities that we serve and are a part of,” Ranjan said, adding that such partnerships support India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.

    Bisleri International Chief Executive Angelo George said the partnership combines SBI’s institutional reach with Bisleri’s experience in plastic waste management.

    “By engaging employees across SBI offices, we aim to build responsible practices at the workplace that can extend into homes and communities,” George said, describing the initiative as a potential model for corporate participation in the circular economy.

    SBI said the collaboration reinforces its broader commitment to environmental stewardship as it works toward a Scope 1, 2 and 3 net-zero target by 2055, the year the bank marks its centenary.

  • Blue Planet Environmental Solutions unveils landmark first Sustainability Report, sets FY24-FY26 ESG baseline

    Blue Planet Environmental Solutions unveils landmark first Sustainability Report, sets FY24-FY26 ESG baseline

    Singapore-headquartered waste management and circular economy company Blue Planet Environmental Solutions has released its first Annual Sustainability Report 2026, marking a significant milestone in the company’s ESG journey and setting a baseline for performance across FY24 and FY26.

    The integrated waste management firm said it processed 8.92 million tonnes of waste across the two reporting years, contributing to an estimated 1.24 million tCO₂e in avoided emissions through initiatives spanning landfill biomining, e-waste recycling and biofuel operations.

    Resource recovery scales up

    According to the report, legacy waste processed jumped to 5.10 million tonnes in FY26, up from 3.49 million tonnes in FY25. E-waste processed also saw a sharp rise, nearly doubling from 11,552 tonnes to 20,060 tonnes over the same period.

    In FY26 alone, the company processed 44,833 tonnes of paper, 24,537 tonnes of plastics, and 6,364 tonnes of iron and steel, along with other material streams, the report noted.

    Commenting on the development, Prashant Singh, Co-Founder & CEO, Blue Planet Environmental Solutions, said, “Our first Sustainability Report marks an important step in how we measure our impact. As Blue Planet scales, we believe growth must be matched by transparency, accountability and measurable outcomes. This report establishes our baseline and strengthens our commitment to creating long-term environmental, social and economic value.”

    Robust ESG governance framework

    The report has been prepared with reference to the GRI Standards 2021 and is supported by a digital ESG data management platform aimed at improving consistency, traceability and review of ESG information, the company said.

    Blue Planet also disclosed that it implemented 103 Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) items, achieving 100% ESAP compliance — verified through independent third-party audits across multiple operations.

    Additionally, select ESG indicators underwent independent limited assurance in line with ISAE 3000 (Revised), covering key areas such as energy, water, waste, Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, workforce, workplace safety and diversity.

    Workforce and road ahead

    The company reported a workforce of more than 4,000 employees and workers during the reporting period. Notably, employee participation in training programmes surged from 7,706 in FY25 to 14,318 in FY26.

    Looking ahead, Blue Planet said it will prioritise strengthening ESG data governance, climate and resource efficiency, supply-chain ESG oversight, occupational health and safety, and consistent ESG practices across its business verticals.

  • Vedanta Power scales up biomass co-firing in Punjab

    Vedanta Power scales up biomass co-firing in Punjab

    Vedanta Power is scaling up biomass co-firing at its Talwandi Sabo Thermal Plant in Punjab, using agricultural waste as fuel, with the plant co-firing around 3.61 lakh metric tonnes (LT) of biomass in FY2025-26, equivalent to roughly 5.21% of its total fuel consumption, the company said.

    By diverting paddy straw from open-field burning, the biomass co-firing initiative helps reduce pollution and harmful emissions associated with stubble burning, the company said in a statement.

    The programme aims to create a productive use for paddy straw and build an organised supply chain for agricultural residue, offering farmers a way to derive value from crop residue previously treated largely as waste. It also provides an alternative to open-field burning during the harvest season.

    The Talwandi Sabo plant, located in Mansa district, has been using biomass co-firing to convert paddy straw into energy. The process involves collection, baling, transportation and processing of agricultural residue before it is supplied to the power plant, linking farmers, biomass aggregators, logistics operators and the energy sector.

    The move carries significance for Punjab, where seasonal management of paddy straw remains a key challenge. In Mansa district, reported stubble-burning incidents during the 2025 harvesting season fell by approximately 87% compared with 2023. More than 100 villages reported zero farm-fire incidents, while over 28,000 acres of farmland were protected from burning.

    While the decline in farm fires reflects several factors, the availability of an organised biomass utilisation route offers farmers and other stakeholders an additional alternative to open-field disposal of crop residue.

    “Biomass co-firing demonstrates how industrial demand can help create a market for agricultural residue and build a more organised value chain around it. By converting paddy straw into a productive source of energy, we are looking at the stubble challenge not only from an environmental perspective but also through the lens of economic value creation for rural communities,” said Rajinder Singh Ahuja, Chief Executive Officer, Vedanta Power.

    The biomass programme has also spurred development of a rural supply chain around agricultural residue. Collection and aggregation create opportunities for local operators, while transportation and processing generate additional activity around the biomass ecosystem. For farmers, the initiative offers a potential avenue to derive value from paddy straw traditionally treated as waste.

    “I am giving all my paddy straw to the biomass manufacturing plants so that this agricultural waste can be put to the best possible use. Instead of burning the straw in the fields, it is converted into environmentally friendly biomass pellets and used as fuel in thermal power plants. This helps prevent stubble burning, reduce air pollution, and improve the air quality of our region,” said Avtar Singh, a farmer from Raipur village in Mansa.

    The model also supports the broader principle of a circular economy by recovering agricultural residue and converting it into useful fuel. For the power sector, biomass co-firing offers a way to integrate a renewable fuel source into existing thermal generation infrastructure while contributing to agricultural-residue management.

    Vedanta Power is among the private power producers seeking to strengthen the role of alternative fuels and more efficient resource utilisation as India’s energy requirements continue to grow. The experience at Talwandi Sabo also underscores the potential for industry-led demand to complement government and community efforts to reduce crop-residue burning.

    With greater participation from farmers, aggregators, local communities and other stakeholders, biomass-based utilisation of agricultural residue could emerge as a scalable model for regions facing similar stubble-management challenges.

  • ZED Certification proves its worth for India’s MSMEs, one factory at a time

    ZED Certification proves its worth for India’s MSMEs, one factory at a time

    By Eldee

    For years, “sustainability” and “quality” have been treated as costs that small manufacturers in India could ill afford. The government’s ZED Certification Scheme is quietly rewriting that assumption, and the early evidence from factory floors across the country suggests it deserves more attention than it has received.

    Consider Finex Industries Pvt. Ltd., a metal and wooden furniture maker based in Dindori, Nashik, Maharashtra. After earning ZED Silver Certification on July 14, 2025, the company cut its Cost of Poor Quality by 11%, reduced rework by 10% and trimmed defects by 1%, while also improving workplace safety and resource utilization. The enterprise reported additional gains from better energy efficiency, smarter space utilization and lower consumable usage. This is not abstract policy language – it is money saved and processes fixed.

    Or take Concept Clothing Pvt. Ltd. in Jalandhar, Punjab, which achieved ZED Silver Certification a month earlier, on June 14, 2025. The results were striking: an 80% drop in workplace incidents, a 50% cut in Mean Time to Repair, a 7.4% reduction in rework and a 4% fall in rejection rates, alongside meaningful savings from quality, environmental and workplace initiatives.

    What both cases illustrate is a simple but underappreciated truth: ZED Certification is not a bureaucratic badge. It is a structured pathway that pushes MSMEs to confront inefficiencies they might otherwise tolerate indefinitely – excess rework, safety lapses, wasted energy – and gives them the tools and, increasingly, the financing to fix them.

    That argument is bolstered by the scale the scheme has now reached. As of July 7, 2026, close to 949,000 MSMEs had registered under the ZED Certification Scheme, with over 667,000 Bronze, 6,700 Silver and 4,800 Gold certifications awarded nationwide. More than 9.13 billion rupees in financial support has flowed to enterprises adopting quality and sustainable manufacturing practices – hardly a token gesture.

    The scheme’s design also deserves credit for addressing one of India’s most persistent economic gaps: the underrepresentation of women in manufacturing. Since November 11, 2023, the government has offered a 100% subsidy on ZED Certification costs for women-owned MSMEs, making certification effectively free. This removes what has long been a real barrier – upfront cost – and gives women entrepreneurs a genuine shot at building process discipline and market credibility on equal footing.

    Skeptics might ask whether certification schemes like this simply add paperwork without changing outcomes. The Finex and Concept Clothing examples argue otherwise. Both firms point to concrete, measurable improvements in cost, safety and efficiency – the kind of numbers that boards and lenders take seriously, not the kind that exist only in a compliance file.

    There is also a structural case for ZED beyond individual firms. Twenty-two states and union territories have now folded ZED into their industrial policies, offering additional incentives to certified enterprises, while 19 financial institutions extend concessions on processing fees and interest rates to ZED-certified MSMEs. That is the beginning of an ecosystem where quality and sustainability are not just encouraged in theory but rewarded in practice – through cheaper capital and better market access.

    None of this means the scheme is without room to grow. Awareness among smaller, unregistered enterprises remains uneven, and Gold certifications – the scheme’s highest tier – still number only in the thousands against a base approaching a million registrants. Scaling that last mile will determine whether ZED becomes a genuine driver of India’s manufacturing competitiveness or a program that plateaus at Bronze-level participation.

    But the direction is encouraging. If more MSMEs follow the path taken by Finex Industries and Concept Clothing, ZED Certification could become less a government initiative and more a standard expectation – one that strengthens India’s position in domestic and global value chains, enterprise by enterprise.

    For details, please visit https://zed.msme.gov.in/

  • HCLTech named to TIME’s most sustainable companies 2026 list for 2nd straight year

    HCLTech named to TIME’s most sustainable companies 2026 list for 2nd straight year

    HCLTech, a global technology company, has been named to TIME’s World’s Most Sustainable Companies 2026 list, marking its second consecutive year on the ranking, the company said.

    HCLTech ranks among the top five global professional services companies on the list and is the highest-ranked India-headquartered company in the category, the company said.

    The ranking, compiled by TIME in collaboration with Statista, assesses more than 5,800 global companies across more than 20 sustainability indicators, including commitments and ratings, reporting and transparency, and environmental and social stewardship.

    HCLTech said the recognition reflects its alignment with the UN Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals. In fiscal year 2026, the company said it replenished 51 times more water than it consumed and retained zero waste-to-landfill platinum certification across all owned facilities.

    The company said it has accelerated its net-zero journey by achieving its 2030 Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)-validated emissions target four years ahead of schedule.

    “Being recognized by TIME for a second consecutive year reflects the progress we are making in embedding sustainability deeper into the core of our business and advancing our net-zero ambition for 2040,” said Vipul Arora, Global Head of Sustainability at HCLTech.

    “Our focus remains on scaling impact through innovation, partnerships and responsible practices that enable long-term value for our clients, communities and the broader ecosystem,” Arora said.

    HCLTech is a global technology company with more than 223,000 employees across 60 countries, offering services in AI, digital, engineering, cloud and software. The company serves clients across sectors including financial services, manufacturing, life sciences and healthcare, technology and services, semiconductors, telecom and media, retail and consumer packaged goods, mobility and public services.

    Consolidated revenue for the 12 months ending June 2026 totaled USD 14.8 billion, the company said.

  • Agropak wins Big Pi grant to boost climate innovation

    Agropak wins Big Pi grant to boost climate innovation

    Agropak, a biotech startup building a natural fibre materials platform for bio-based packaging, has won the Big Pi Grant, India’s largest non-dilutive grant for early-stage climate startups, organisers The Sustainability Mafia (SusMafia) said.

    The Rs 31.4 lakh Big Pi Grant, presented at the third edition of SusCrunch 2026, is designed to boost climate startups through innovation support, commercial validation and market adoption without diluting founder equity, SusMafia said in a statement.

    Agropak’s win adds to a growing set of resources for the company, including mentorship, strategic guidance and access to incubators and government programmes through SusMafia’s investor, fellowship and grant network.

    The grant’s name draws on the mathematical constant pi (3.14), a nod meant to symbolise bold thinking and breakthrough innovation, according to the organisers.

    SusCrunch 2026 drew investors including Zerodha and 3one4 Capital, along with corporates such as Reliance, Biocon, Zomato and Apollo Hospitals, underscoring rising industry interest in climate-focused startups.

    The Big Pi Grant announcement comes as India’s climate-tech sector has drawn nearly USD 12.8 billion in funding across 1,583 startups between 2008 and June 2026, according to the Tracxn India Climate Tech 2026 Report.

    Global early-stage climate funding, however, has slipped to a five-year low, the State of Climate Tech 2025 report found, a trend organisers say makes non-dilutive grants like the Big Pi Grant increasingly critical to bridging the gap between research and commercial scale.

    Backed jointly by SusMafia and the BITS Pilani PIEDS Accelerator, the Big Pi Grant drew more than 50 applications from founders across BITS Pilani, IIT and the wider SusVentures network. Five startups spanning water and waste management, climate intelligence, sustainable materials and the built environment were shortlisted before Agropak was named the winner.

    Past recipients have used the grant as a springboard. BioCompute, the 2024 winner, has since built laboratory infrastructure, expanded into the Bay Area and raised more than Rs 5 crore from investors including WTF Fund, Grad Capital and 1517 Fund. Bisket Labs, the 2025 recipient, went on to secure Karnataka’s ELEVATE Grant.

    “Every founder needs access to business, capital and talent. No founder can build all three alone,” said Ganesh Shankar, co-founder of The Sustainability Mafia and founder of FluxGen.

    SusMafia, a founder-led climate community, says its network of 84 active climate founders and more than 700 “Climate Ninjas” has collectively raised over $350 million, employs more than 3,000 people and generates Rs 2,100 crore in annual revenue, while diverting over 363,000 tonnes of waste from landfills and mitigating roughly 1.56 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually.

    At a separate “Climate Sitdown” session, Neeraj Jain, co-founder of Solar Square, a Series C rooftop solar company that has raised over USD 100 million, said the SusMafia community “feels like the start of a movement,” speaking alongside Ashish Goel, founder of Urban Ladder and an investor in more than 30 startups.

    Organisers say initiatives like the Big Pi Grant will remain central to India’s climate innovation push as the country works toward its net-zero goals, with early-stage grants, founder communities and industry partnerships seen as key complements to venture capital.

  • Coromandel achieves Responsible Care Certification from ICC

    Coromandel achieves Responsible Care Certification from ICC

    Coromandel International Limited, one of India’s leading agri-solutions providers, said it has received the Coromandel Responsible Care Certification from the Indian Chemical Council (ICC), placing it among a select group of companies globally to achieve the recognition.

    The certification, valid from April 2026 to March 2029, covers all 18 manufacturing facilities across the company’s Nutrients, Crop Protection Chemicals, Specialty Nutrients and Bio businesses, Coromandel said.

    Responsible Care is a globally recognized chemical industry initiative that promotes safety, health, environmental protection, product stewardship and security across the value chain.

    The framework is administered worldwide by the International Council of Chemical Associations and implemented in more than 70 countries, helping companies strengthen manufacturing practices and meet stakeholder expectations, the company said.

    Coromandel said it earned the certification after a comprehensive assessment and verification process led by the ICC, having undertaken a structured improvement programme across its manufacturing operations, business functions and supplier ecosystem.

    The programme included interventions in process safety, employee wellbeing, environmental performance, product responsibility, distribution safety and community engagement.

    “This certification is a testament to Coromandel’s consistent focus on responsible manufacturing and high safety standards,” said S. Sankarasubramanian, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Coromandel International Limited.

    “We are making significant investments to strengthen our safety systems and environmental practices and remain committed to upholding the highest standards across all our operations.”

    Coromandel is India’s second-largest manufacturer and marketer of phosphatic fertiliser, and operates across fertilizers, crop protection, bio products, specialty nutrients and organic businesses.

    The company runs more than 1,200 rural retail outlets across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, offering agri inputs and farming services including crop advisory, soil testing and farm mechanisation to around 3 million farmers.

    The company operates eight R&D centres and 21 manufacturing facilities across India. Coromandel reported turnover of 31,827 crore rupees in fiscal year 2025-26. It has been recognised by the UNDP for its environmental efforts and was named among the ten greenest companies in India by TERI.

    Coromandel is part of the Murugappa Group, which posted turnover of 90,178 crore rupees in fiscal year 2024-25.