PepsiCo India to invest Rs 778 cr for new manufacturing plant in Assam

The company aims to provide direct and indirect employment opportunities to 500 people with this new plant

PepsiCo India on Wednesday announced the setting up of a new manufacturing plant in Nalbari, Assam, with an investment of Rs 778 crore.

Spread over 44.2 acres, the plant will be operational in 2025 and provide employment to 500 people.

PepsiCo India aims to source 50,000 tonnes of potatoes from the state, to facilitate production of its Lay’s brand. 

The plant will also provide cold storage capacity of 60,000 tonnes over the next few years, the company said.

“India is among the fastest growing markets for PepsiCo in the Africa, Middle East and South Asia (AMESA) region,” said Eugene Willemsen, chief executive officer (CEO), AMESA, of PepsiCo.

“Our first food manufacturing plant in Assam is a testament of our long-term vision and unwavering support to the economic growth of the country by creating an equitable and sustainable ecosystem. This decade is India’s and at PepsiCo, we are focused on building capabilities, availability and expanding penetration across the nation,” Willemsen added.

The company aims to provide direct and indirect employment to 500 people in this new plant.

PepsiCo India also signed a tripartite pact with the Assam Skill Development Mission and directorate of employment and craftsman training for fostering women’s empowerment.

The plant targets to take in 100 per cent diverse talent with at least 75 per cent women’s representation.

The company also intends to set up its first community learning centre at the women’s ITI campus, Nalbari, to upskill women over the next two years.

“In alignment with the Centre’s self-reliant India vision, our investment in the greenfield facility in Assam stands as a significant milestone. Through the creation of employment opportunities and by empowering the farming community, our aim is to support the government’s drive for self-sufficiency in potato production,” said Ahmed ElSheikh, president, PepsiCo India. PepsiCo, which entered India in 1989, sells brands like Pepsi, Lay’s, Kurkure, Tropicana, and Quaker Oats.