PepsiCo India Launches INR 6.5 Crore Rapid Re.Gen Challenge to Advance Regenerative Agriculture
20 July 2026, New Delhi: PepsiCo India, in collaboration with the^delta prize, has launched the rapid re.gen challenge, a nationwide initiative with a prize fund of INR 6.5 crore to accelerate the adoption of regenerative agriculture among India’s smallholder farmers. The programme aims to support organisations developing practical and scalable solutions that improve soil health, strengthen climate resilience, and enhance farm incomes while making sustainable agriculture more accessible across the country.
The challenge comes at a time when Indian agriculture is facing growing pressure from declining soil fertility, rising input costs, and increasing climate uncertainty. While regenerative agriculture has gained recognition for its ability to restore soil health, improve water efficiency, and support long-term farm productivity, its adoption remains limited due to financial, technical, and implementation barriers. Through the initiative, PepsiCo India intends to identify innovative approaches that deliver both environmental and economic benefits, with projects expected to benefit between 5,000 and 10,000 smallholder farmers across diverse agricultural regions.
Supporting Farmer-Centric Innovation
The rapid re.gen challenge is open to non-profit organisations, civil society groups, and other partners working directly with farming communities. Selected organisations will collaborate with smallholder farmers practising conventional agriculture to develop and scale regenerative farming models that improve soil health while maintaining or increasing farm incomes. The initiative will support solutions across areas such as farmer advisory services, natural resource management, agroforestry, efficient input use, market access, and other innovations that contribute to sustainable agricultural development.
Participating organisations will receive grant funding along with access to a network of advisors, researchers, mentors, and ecosystem partners to strengthen project implementation, generate evidence, and help scale successful models. The programme has been developed through consultations with practitioners, researchers, and agricultural experts to ensure that supported solutions are practical, farmer-centric, and capable of wider adoption.
Part of PepsiCo India’s Sustainability Strategy
The challenge forms part of PepsiCo India’s broader commitment to advancing regenerative agriculture and building resilient farming systems. Through initiatives focused on soil health, scientific farming practices, farmer capability building, and sustainable crop production, the company continues to work with farming communities to improve agricultural productivity and strengthen long-term resilience.
Commenting on the launch, Yashika Singh, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer and Sustainability Head, PepsiCo India and South Asia, said healthy soil is the foundation of resilient food systems and sustainable livelihoods. She noted that regenerative agriculture remains central to PepsiCo India’s efforts to restore soil fertility, strengthen water systems, and improve the resilience of farming communities. She added that the rapid re.gen challenge is intended to support organisations developing practical and scalable approaches that benefit both farmers and the environment.
Kanishka Chatterjee, Managing Director of the^delta prize, said that despite the long-term benefits of regenerative agriculture, many smallholder farmers continue to face challenges in adopting new practices due to rising input costs, declining soil health, and increasing climate risks. He said the challenge aims to identify and support practical pathways that make the transition more viable while improving farmer incomes and resilience.
The initiative is guided by an advisory group comprising Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa and former CEO of NITI Aayog; Manoj Ahuja, former Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, India; Hemendra Mathur, Founder of ThinkAg and Venture Partner at Bharat Innovation Fund; and Dr. G.V. Ramanjaneyulu, Executive Director of the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture
Also Read: Beyond Pesticides: Understanding the Real Causes of India’s Agricultural Export Rejections
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