PepsiCo sues 4 farmers in India for growing potatoes it uses in Lays chips

The lawsuits were filed earlier this month by the company’s Indian subsidiary, and will be heard by a district court in the western Indian state of Gujarat on Friday. PepsiCo (PEP) says the farmers being sued are not among the thousands it has authorized to grow the protected potato variety.

But farmer unions and activists are fighting back against the food and beverage maker, marking the latest battle in India between local businesses and big global players. Small Indian retailers have been protesting against companies like Walmart (WMT) and Amazon (AMZN) — claiming the American retailers are unfairly destroying their business — and even succeeded in getting the government to put in some restrictions.