PepsiCo India said on Monday that its Better-for-You agenda, a key part of its ESG strategy, expands choices for India’s increasingly discerning consumers, with more than 70% of its beverages now zero-sugar or mid-calorie and a goal of raising that share to 90-100% over time.

The company’s Better-for-You product agenda is part of its ESG and sustainability strategy, specifically under the Positive Choices pillar of its company-wide pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) framework.

The PepsiCo India ESG approach balances the taste consumers love with a growing interest in wellness, through reformulation, new products and formats, and diverse ingredients.

Social: lower-sugar beverages and consumer health

PepsiCo India is advancing the shift through reformulation and a wider range of low- and no-sugar variants, including Pepsi Black, 7UP Zero Sugar, Gatorade Zero and Nimbooz. The company said reducing sugar across its beverage range supports its Positive Choices goals and gives consumers more variety to suit their individual preferences.

Product stewardship: wholegrains, millets and baked snacks

In foods, the company is expanding choice through positive nutrition, diverse ingredients and new preparation formats. In 2026, it restaged Quaker to bring the brand’s inherent protein, fibre and wholegrain credentials to the forefront.

Other positive-choice products include Red Rock Deli baked variants with 40% less fat and Kurkure Jowar Puffs, a millet-based snack that celebrates India’s agricultural heritage. The use of millets also reflects the company’s focus on diverse, locally rooted ingredients.

The company also said its entire convenient foods portfolio, spanning Lay’s, Kurkure, Doritos, Cheetos, Uncle Chipps, Quaker and Red Rock Deli, is made with no artificial flavours or colours.

Governance: transparency on pack

PepsiCo India provides nutritional information on pack, including energy, serving size and contribution to recommended dietary allowances for key nutrients. The company said this transparency gives consumers the information they need to choose according to their preferences and consumption occasions, in line with its ESG disclosure commitments.

“Evolving with our consumers means understanding their changing preferences and recognising the different choices they seek,” said Yashika Singh, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer and Sustainability Head, PepsiCo India and South Asia.

“Making positive choices easier is not just a responsibility for us but also an integral part of how we continue to innovate and grow,” Singh said. She added that the company is widening options for mindful consumers, from lower- and zero-sugar beverages to snacks made with wholegrains and millets, while keeping taste and enjoyment at the heart of the experience.

The company said these steps reflect a consumer-led approach to portfolio transformation, evolving established products and creating new choices for the changing tastes, lifestyles and occasions of Indian consumers. As the PepsiCo India ESG agenda, anchored in pep+, expands, the company said it aims to reflect the diverse ways in which India eats and drinks.