PepsiCo has announced the election of Joaquin Duato as an independent member of its Board of Directors, effective December 1, 2026. The 64-year-old executive currently serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Johnson & Johnson, a global healthcare company. Duato has held his current positions since 2023 and 2022 respectively, and has been a director since 2022. Prior to his current role, he served as Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee from 2018 to 2021 and Worldwide Chairman, Pharmaceuticals from 2011 to 2018. Duato will join PepsiCo's board as a member of the Audit Committee, bringing extensive leadership experience from his tenure at Johnson & Johnson since joining in 1989. PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta stated that Duato brings expertise in driving strategic transformation, portfolio optimization and innovation at a large multinational corporation. Robert C. Pohlad, Chair of the Board's Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, noted that Duato brings expertise in overseeing a large global organization operating in regulated and evolving markets.
According to PepsiCo's 2025 ESG Performance Update, the company's sustainability programme PepsiCo Positive (pep+) is delivering measurable growth across global operations. The initiative has extended regenerative, restorative and protective farming practices to 4.7 million acres across more than 60 countries, 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. As reported by the company, PepsiCo Chief Sustainability Officer Jim Andrew stated that the company is excited by the momentum building as pep+ continues to transform business end to end, while evolving the product portfolio to offer more choices and strengthen the business for the long term. The company's vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ places sustainability at the center of its business strategy, seeking to drive growth and build a stronger, more resilient future for PepsiCo and the communities where it operates.
In India, PepsiCo Positive is being rolled out through the company's 'Partnership for Progress' philosophy, which engages around 36,000 farmers across 14 states. According to Yashika Singh, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer and Sustainability Head for PepsiCo India & South Asia, the company sources 100 per cent of its chip-grade potatoes locally in the country. The company has partnered with start-ups to bring digital tools to its farmer network, including the 'Mitti Didi' initiative offering soil-health diagnostics to thousands of farmers and the 'Lay's Smart Farms' programme developed with Cropin, spanning more than 18,000 mapped acres and reaching over 7,000 farmers. Micro-irrigation has achieved full adoption across key potato-sourcing regions, including more than 2,300 acres in Uttar Pradesh, demonstrating the programme's scalability and impact on agricultural practices. As Singh noted, "PepsiCo Positive and our Partnership for Progress philosophy is about turning this interdependence into shared growth. When we strive to help farmers become more resilient, we strengthen our supply chain; when we improve water and resource efficiency, we build operational resilience; when we advance circularity, we help strengthen the systems we rely on; and when we evolve our portfolio, we respond to changing consumer preferences This is how we see sustainable growth; not as a separate agenda, but as an integral part of building a stronger business and contributing to progress for communities, consumers and the planet."
On water conservation, PepsiCo's Pune manufacturing facility has cut water use by more than 90 per cent, 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 advancing circularity in India by complying with local Extended Producer Responsibility rules and redesigning packaging with mono-material and polyolefin-based structures. Additionally, PepsiCo India has shifted to 100 per cent PET bottles for select beverage products, with biomass now accounting for 97 per cent of PepsiCo India's fuel mix. As Singh noted, "In India, our growth is deeply connected to the strength and resilience of the ecosystem around us," emphasizing how the approach turns interdependence into shared growth across farmers, communities and consumers.
On the transport front, the Kosi-Pataudi EV Green Corridor, run in partnership with Kalyani Powertrain Ltd 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 has also expanded its low-sugar offerings, with more than 50 per cent of its beverage portfolio by volume in India now low or zero-sugar, alongside new offerings such as Red Rock Deli baked variants with 40 per cent less fat and millet-based Kurkure Jowar Puffs. This comprehensive approach to sustainability demonstrates PepsiCo's commitment to transforming its business while maintaining competitive positioning in the Indian market.
