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Food and beverage maker PepsiCo India is overhauling its end-to-end supply chain to make it faster, more transparent, and resilient as consumer preferences evolve. Rising demand for traceability, product origin, and sustainable farming practices is driving a comprehensive farm-to-shelf transformation, the company said.
Markets and consumer preferences are outpacing supply chains, with rising demand for traceability, origin, farming practices, and farmer support, forcing companies to build more transparent, efficient, and resilient networks, says Rinkesh Satija, VP-E2E Supply Chain Operations, PepsiCo India & South Asia.
“Our focus is on strengthening the end-to-end supply chain architecture to make the entire system more resilient, from farm to market. We are improving coordination across planning, procurement, warehousing, and logistics while investing in digitisation and advanced demand forecasting. Integrated systems allow real-time visibility across sourcing and distribution, helping optimise inventory movement, reduce inefficiencies, and improve logistics planning,” adds Satija.
Working with farmers on soil health and regenerative practices is improving crop consistency and supply reliability, says Satija. In addition, PepsiCo India is tightening its supply chain to manage rising input and logistics costs while maintaining service levels, he adds. As consumer expectations shift, the company is rebuilding the network to be faster, more transparent, and resilient, without cost overruns or service slippage, says Satija.
Fragmented farm bases
In a country with a highly fragmented farm base, ensuring consistent quality, volumes, and scale remains a core challenge. PepsiCo India says it is addressing this by working closely with farmers and ecosystem partners to build a more resilient and scalable agricultural supply chain.
The company engages directly and indirectly with over 36,000 farmers across 14 states, with a focus on 100% local sourcing. Its role extends well beyond procurement. PepsiCo India provides end-to-end agricultural support, ranging from high-quality seeds and agronomic guidance to precision farming tools, weather forecasts, and disease alerts. It is also promoting regenerative agriculture practices and strengthening post-harvest management across the crop cycle to improve consistency and reliability.
“To strengthen soil health and productivity, we have also introduced initiatives such as ‘Mitti Jaanch Kendras’ in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Bihar. These centres provide local farmers with quick, scientific, and data-backed soil health reports, measuring parameters like nutrient composition and pH levels, complemented with tailor-made fertiliser recommendations for optimising farm-level inputs,” says Satija.
Boosting price discovery for farmers
India’s agri supply chains are layered, limiting farmers’ price visibility. Direct linkages with organised buyers can improve transparency and stability, says Satija.
For potatoes, PepsiCo India uses a collaborative farming model with assured buyback at pre-agreed, cost-benchmarked prices set at the start of the season, protecting farmers from market volatility while ensuring predictable incomes and steady demand.
“In addition, our teams provide agronomy support, crop advisory, and guidance on better farming practices, helping farmers improve productivity and crop quality. Payments are made directly to farming partners’ accounts, ensuring transparency and timely settlements. Together, these efforts create a more structured, transparent, and reliable sourcing ecosystem while improving farmers’ access to organised markets,” adds Satija.
Tech-led and market-linked agriculture
India’s agriculture is shifting to tech-led, market-linked systems, aligning with PepsiCo India’s push for a more resilient, future-ready sourcing ecosystem, says Satija. Under its ‘Partnership of Progress—Unnati ki Sajhedari’ approach, the company works with farmers, agronomists, and agri-tech partners to deploy simple, accessible tools—backed by field engagement and local-language support—to enable more informed, predictable decisions.
“A strong example is PepsiCo India’s Smart Farms initiative, which uses satellite imagery, AI, and predictive analytics to provide farmers with early warnings and field-level insights. Developed with partners such as Cropin, the initiative has helped map over 15,000 acres and support more than 7,000 farmers with data-driven crop advisory. Insights generated through digital platforms are translated into simple SMS alerts and practical field guidance, enabling farmers to make timely decisions on crop health, irrigation, and inputs,” says Satija.
Reducing post-harvest losses
Improving cold-chain and storage infrastructure is key to cutting post-harvest losses and strengthening agri-supply chains, says Satija. PepsiCo India is aligning its sourcing and logistics with these networks through efficient aggregation, better route planning, and temperature-controlled transport, he adds.
The company is also working with partners to strengthen cold storage for crops like chip-grade potatoes, leveraging compliant facilities, supporting upgrades, and enabling dedicated infrastructure where needed.
As supply chains evolve, PepsiCo India is investing in technology and partnerships to boost efficiency while advancing sustainable logistics, says Satija. The focus is on strengthening distribution while cutting the environmental footprint.
A key step is the Kosi-Pataudi EV Green Corridor, which uses eight 32-ft electric container trucks to clock around 4.8 lakh electric kilometres annually. The company has also electrified over 400 distributor-linked vehicles across markets and deployed over 80 CNG vehicles in the NCR through logistics partners to green last-mile and urban transport.
These moves emphasise our commitment to a cleaner, more efficient, and future-ready supply chain, says Satija.
Markets and consumer preferences are outpacing supply chains, with rising demand for traceability, origin, farming practices, and farmer support, forcing companies to build more transparent, efficient, and resilient networks, says Rinkesh Satija, VP-E2E Supply Chain Operations, PepsiCo India & South Asia.
“Our focus is on strengthening the end-to-end supply chain architecture to make the entire system more resilient, from farm to market. We are improving coordination across planning, procurement, warehousing, and logistics while investing in digitisation and advanced demand forecasting. Integrated systems allow real-time visibility across sourcing and distribution, helping optimise inventory movement, reduce inefficiencies, and improve logistics planning,” adds Satija.
Working with farmers on soil health and regenerative practices is improving crop consistency and supply reliability, says Satija. In addition, PepsiCo India is tightening its supply chain to manage rising input and logistics costs while maintaining service levels, he adds. As consumer expectations shift, the company is rebuilding the network to be faster, more transparent, and resilient, without cost overruns or service slippage, says Satija.
Fragmented farm bases
In a country with a highly fragmented farm base, ensuring consistent quality, volumes, and scale remains a core challenge. PepsiCo India says it is addressing this by working closely with farmers and ecosystem partners to build a more resilient and scalable agricultural supply chain.
The company engages directly and indirectly with over 36,000 farmers across 14 states, with a focus on 100% local sourcing. Its role extends well beyond procurement. PepsiCo India provides end-to-end agricultural support, ranging from high-quality seeds and agronomic guidance to precision farming tools, weather forecasts, and disease alerts. It is also promoting regenerative agriculture practices and strengthening post-harvest management across the crop cycle to improve consistency and reliability.
“To strengthen soil health and productivity, we have also introduced initiatives such as ‘Mitti Jaanch Kendras’ in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Bihar. These centres provide local farmers with quick, scientific, and data-backed soil health reports, measuring parameters like nutrient composition and pH levels, complemented with tailor-made fertiliser recommendations for optimising farm-level inputs,” says Satija.
Boosting price discovery for farmers
India’s agri supply chains are layered, limiting farmers’ price visibility. Direct linkages with organised buyers can improve transparency and stability, says Satija.
For potatoes, PepsiCo India uses a collaborative farming model with assured buyback at pre-agreed, cost-benchmarked prices set at the start of the season, protecting farmers from market volatility while ensuring predictable incomes and steady demand.
“In addition, our teams provide agronomy support, crop advisory, and guidance on better farming practices, helping farmers improve productivity and crop quality. Payments are made directly to farming partners’ accounts, ensuring transparency and timely settlements. Together, these efforts create a more structured, transparent, and reliable sourcing ecosystem while improving farmers’ access to organised markets,” adds Satija.
Tech-led and market-linked agriculture
India’s agriculture is shifting to tech-led, market-linked systems, aligning with PepsiCo India’s push for a more resilient, future-ready sourcing ecosystem, says Satija. Under its ‘Partnership of Progress—Unnati ki Sajhedari’ approach, the company works with farmers, agronomists, and agri-tech partners to deploy simple, accessible tools—backed by field engagement and local-language support—to enable more informed, predictable decisions.
“A strong example is PepsiCo India’s Smart Farms initiative, which uses satellite imagery, AI, and predictive analytics to provide farmers with early warnings and field-level insights. Developed with partners such as Cropin, the initiative has helped map over 15,000 acres and support more than 7,000 farmers with data-driven crop advisory. Insights generated through digital platforms are translated into simple SMS alerts and practical field guidance, enabling farmers to make timely decisions on crop health, irrigation, and inputs,” says Satija.
Reducing post-harvest losses
Improving cold-chain and storage infrastructure is key to cutting post-harvest losses and strengthening agri-supply chains, says Satija. PepsiCo India is aligning its sourcing and logistics with these networks through efficient aggregation, better route planning, and temperature-controlled transport, he adds.
The company is also working with partners to strengthen cold storage for crops like chip-grade potatoes, leveraging compliant facilities, supporting upgrades, and enabling dedicated infrastructure where needed.
As supply chains evolve, PepsiCo India is investing in technology and partnerships to boost efficiency while advancing sustainable logistics, says Satija. The focus is on strengthening distribution while cutting the environmental footprint.
A key step is the Kosi-Pataudi EV Green Corridor, which uses eight 32-ft electric container trucks to clock around 4.8 lakh electric kilometres annually. The company has also electrified over 400 distributor-linked vehicles across markets and deployed over 80 CNG vehicles in the NCR through logistics partners to green last-mile and urban transport.
These moves emphasise our commitment to a cleaner, more efficient, and future-ready supply chain, says Satija.
