NEW DELHI: PepsiCo, one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, has announced the India launch of PepsiCorps, a one-month on-the-ground program that leverages an employee's business skills to make a positive impact on the world. As part of the program, the PepsiCorps team of eight employees has initiated water conservation projects with Bhoruka Charitable Trust (BCT), Churu district - Rajasthan, which aim to develop a long-term, sustainable solution to tackle the water scarcity challenges faced by the Bhorugram community.

PepsiCorps provides employees with an international business experience that encapsulates PepsiCo's 'Performance with Purpose' agenda, the belief is that long-term profitable growth can be achieved by delivering a healthier, sustainable future for people and our planet. PepsiCorps gives employees a close-up view of real-world conditions and allows them to apply their business skills and expertise to project work that benefits communities in need around the world. Being part of a cross-cultural and cross-functional PepsiCo team, these employees come away from the program with enhanced leadership skills and on-the-ground insights into societal challenges across the world.

Explaining how PepsiCorps supports the development of future leaders within the company, Sergio Ezama, Senior Vice President, Talent Management and Development at PepsiCo said, "PepsiCorps is all about going beyond your day job to make an impact in the world. Through this project, we hope to develop the leaders of tomorrow by strengthening skills like flexibility, adaptability and resilience among the participants. Not limited by geographic boundaries, PepsiCorps encourages participants to take on a global mindset and be adaptable by working creatively in resource contained rural areas."

Talking about the project in Bhorugram, Ezama added, "One of our environmental sustainability commitments as part of 'Performance with Purpose' is the human right to clean water. In sending a PepsiCorps team to India, we can pass on the skills needed in Bhorugram to conserve water and improve availability in the region."

PepsiCorps is the company's first overseas employee skills-based service program. Its pilot project in 2011 entailed working with local Water Boards in Denu, Ghana to improve community access to clean water, boost eco-tourism and teach hygiene in schools. The team of eight employees proposed sustainable development to local community leaders and developed critical professional skills that they brought back to their roles within PepsiCo.

PepsiCo has been lauded for its water conservation initiatives across its business operations and agricultural supply chain around the world. PepsiCo has provided access to safe water for more than 1 million people globally with the PepsiCo Foundation and other partners and conserved nearly 16 billion liters of water in 2011 throughout its manufacturing facilities, from a 2006 baseline. In 2009, PepsiCo India achieved a significant milestone, by becoming the first business unit to achieve 'Positive Water Balance' in the beverage world. In 2011, PepsiCo India saved 14.7 billion liters water, which is 8.3 billion liters more than what it used - taking its Water Positive status in the country to the next level, a fact verified by Deloitte Touché Tohmatsu India Pvt Ltd. This year, PepsiCo received the prestigious Stockholm Industry Water Award in recognition of its innovative and outstanding water stewardship initiatives.

Editor's Notes - PepsiCorps Bhorugram initiatives:

• Reviewing and assessing rooftop rainwater harvesting structures. Bhoruka Charitable Trust (BCT) had questions about the proper preservation and storage of rainwater, within the current structures. The PepsiCorps team is working towards assessing the current structures in order to provide best practices for new innovations in technology and material around these structures that also help reduce cost. 
• Model Scaling Plan. Many houses within Bhorugram have applied rooftop rainwater harvesting technologies, however with ever-increasing water scarcity, BCT has plans to scale the current model and replicate it throughout the rest of the area. PepsiCorps is working to provide innovative planning around scaling this model by combining market and financing assessments.
• Reconstruction of a community structure. The PepsiCorps team will work on reconstructing one of the community rainwater harvesting structures, some of which are in dire need of repair. The team will work closely with BCT and community members to identify a structure and repair it to regain its water harvesting functionality. 

About PepsiCo:

PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses - Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola - make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also, means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

About PepsiCo India:

PepsiCo entered India in 1989 and has grown to become one of the largest food and beverage businesses in India. With an investment of over $1 billion, PepsiCo India has built an expansive beverage and snack food business supported by 38 beverage bottling plants and 3 food plants. PepsiCo India's extensive portfolio includes iconic brands like Pepsi, Lay's, Kurkure, Tropicana 100%, Gatorade, Quaker, and fast growing brands i.e. Nimbooz and Aliva.

PepsiCo India is driven by its global commitment to sustainable growth, Performance with Purpose, which works on four planks of replenishing water, partnering with farmers, waste to wealth and healthy kids. In 2009, PepsiCo India achieved a significant milestone, by becoming the first business to achieve 'Positive Water Balance' in the beverage world, a fact verified by Deloitte Touché Tohmatsu India Pvt. Ltd. The company has been Water Positive since then. For more information, please visit www.pepsicoindia.co.in.  

Primary Media Contact: Neha Singh, neha.singh@bm.com, 91-9811645152

Secondary Media Contact: Tanvi Arora, tanvi.arora@bm.com, 91-9999046170