Coke starts Rs 40 cr unit in UP

In an effort to boost the penetration of its juice brand "maaza" across the country, Coca-Cola India today opened a Rs 40-crore franchised juice manufacturing facility in Bareilly, UP.

"We are planning to increase the penetration of brand maaza in 750 towns across the country, with new flavour extensions," Coca-Cola India CEO Sanjiv Gupta said in a press statement.

"We are expanding the market to provide consumers innovative packaging and flavours of maaza," he added.

This new facility would strengthen the company's leadership position as the largest mango pulp buyer in the country, with an annual consumption of 17,000 tonnes, the statement added.

In the first phase the new facility would produce the maaza mango drink. But in the later phases it would also produce the maaza pineapple and maaza orange, the statement said.

The facility developed by the company's franchisee bottler Brindavan Beverages has been set up with an investment of Rs four crore.

It will produce both pet bottles and tetra packs and has a capacity of 2.5 lakh litres of juice products per day in an array of both 65 ml tetra packs and 1.2 ltr bottles.