Pesticide-schmesticide. The play is jolly obvious. India has a protectionist market controled by a very few wealthy families. The market for soft drink in India is huge. Getting rid of foreign offerings like Coke and Pepsi creates a vaccuum: and Nature doth abhor a vaccuum. Step in a local Indian supplier with a product that is a reasonable facsimile. Voila! Problem solved!
Not a bad strategy, makes perfect sense to get rid of foreign quasi-monopolies if one is to have a marketplace well-protected against foreign competition. But it's not a position that can be dignified under the auspices of a "health issue."
Coke and Pepsi a pesticide/herbicide? C'mon! That's just not credible.
It's as credible as the Indian tricycles beating US tanks as was alleged upthread.