Coca-Cola bottlers to invest Rs 25,760 crore in India's food processing sector

The projects are expected to generate 30,000 direct jobs and 300,000 indirect employment opportunities. Implementation will begin this year and is targeted for completion by 2030

Three Coca-Cola bottlers in India will jointly invest Rs 25,760 crore (USD 2.96 billion) to expand the country's food processing infrastructure and have signed memoranda of understanding with the Ministry of Food Processing Industries for greenfield and brownfield projects, according to an industry official.

SLMG Beverages, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (Coca-Cola's wholly-owned bottling arm), and Kandhari Group of Companies have committed to the investment, which will span nine states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan and Jammu.

"Coca-Cola India and all the other bottlers, including SLMG Beverages, have signed an MoU worth Rs 25,760 crore with the food processing industry," said Paritosh Ladhani, joint managing director of SLMG Beverages told PTI.

SLMG Beverages, Coca-Cola's largest bottler in India, will contribute Rs 8,000 crore to the investment, Ladhani added.

The projects are expected to generate 30,000 direct jobs and 300,000 indirect employment opportunities. Implementation will begin this year and is targeted for completion by 2030.

The ministry has assured support in obtaining necessary regulatory clearances for the proposed investments.

India ranks as Coca-Cola's fifth-largest market globally, where the beverage giant continues to strengthen its presence through strategic expansions.