Swiss chocolate maker Barry Callebaut on November 29 announced the groundbreaking of its third factory in India at Neemrana, which is expected to commence operations in 2024. It will make India the company’s largest chocolate producing market in the Asia Pacific region, it said.
Ground breaking has been done for the factory located in the Ghiloth industrial area of Neemrana situated 120 km southwest of Delhi. With this, Barry Callebaut’s investment in India is projected to exceed 50 million Swiss Francs over the past five years.
The new green field facility will cover 20,000 sq. metre area and will include state-of-the-art assembly lines capable of manufacturing chocolate and compound in different delivery formats. It will also house a warehouse and a research and development (R&D) laboratory.
“India is a key market for Barry Callebaut in the Asia Pacific region. Our ambition is to become the market leader for high-quality chocolate and cocoa products. This factory clearly displays Barry Callebaut’s confidence in this growth market,” said Jo Thys, President of Barry Callebaut in Asia Pacific.
Dhruva Jyoti Sanyal, Managing Director for Barry Callebaut India said: “Over the years, we have invested significantly in our local manufacturing and sales capabilities, which positions us well for the future. The new factory will act as a northern hub.”
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Sanyal pointed out that India is among the fastest growing chocolate markets in the world. According to Nielsen, sales volume of chocolate confectionery in India grew over 26 percent in 2021 and at a CAGR of more than 10 percent between 2017 and 2021.
The release said this investment “re-affirms” their 15 year commitment to India. The company has operated from Mumbai since 2007 and has two factories in Baramati. Barry Callebaut employs 160 in India and has achieved double-digit volume growth in the country over the last five years.
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