The cola major, which produces substantial amounts of salt as a by-product of its water management initiatives, has already started testing the salt internally to see if the quality is on a par with the other commercially available salt.
"We are using the salt we produce internally in different utilities and are testing it for purity. If we feel the quality is on a par with what is otherwise available, we will start selling it to other industries as well," said Pradeep Sardana, executive director, operations, Pepsico India Holdings.
He said potential customers would be any utility company that needs to generate or use soft water as a part of its process.
He made it clear that the use of this salt would only be in industrial processes and not in any final product. Almost 70 per cent of the company's 35-odd bottling plants produce salt.
Abhiram Seth, executive director, exports and external affairs, Pepsico India Holdings, said this was one of the many initiatives the company had undertaken as part of its water management and conservation programme.
Sardana added that the Indian operations were, in fact, setting best practice standards in water management for Pepsi internationally.
In addition to rainwater harvesting, the company has also started re-using tertiary water in cooling towers and boilers, minimising the overall use of water at its plants.
Seth said in 2006 the company saved 1 billion litres of water.
The company is also working with farmers to reduce water use in agriculture and intends to have 1,600 hectares under cultivation next year, taking it to a zero discharge level, using as much water as it gives out as waste.
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