India, Sept. 14 -- PepsiCo India, a leading foods and beverages company, today inaugurated its state-of-the-art foods manufacturing facility in Nalbari, Assam, marking a significant milestone in the companys manufacturing journey in India. With an investment of INR 778 crore, the facility is PepsiCo Indias first food plant in Assam and fifth food manufacturing plant in India. The investment underscores PepsiCo Indias long-term confidence in Assams growth potential and its commitment to strengthening Indias agricultural ecosystem, manufacturing footprint and economic development.
Gracing the occasion as Chief Guest, Honble Chief Minister of Assam Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the facility alongside Jagrut Kotecha, Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo India & South Asia, and other dignitaries including, Shri Jayanta Mallabaruah, Honble Minister, Finance, Environment & Forest, Assam; Shri Biswajit Daimary, Honble Minister, Sports & Youth Welfare, Handloom, Assam; Shri Chandra Mohan Patowary, Hon'ble MLA, 40 Tihu LAC. and Shri Narayan Deka, Honble MLA, 38 Barkhetri LAC. The event was attended by senior state officials, PepsiCo India leadership, industry partners, farmers and community members from Nalbari.
The Nalbari facility is a testament to PepsiCos growing Partnership of Progress with India and forms part of the companys INR 5,700 crore investment commitment through 2030. The investment reflects PepsiCos focus on strengthening manufacturing capabilities, enhancing supply chain resilience, and advancing sustainable growth in one of its key growth markets. Spanning 44.2 acres, the facility will manufacture Lays and Uncle Chipps while supporting the expansion of PepsiCo Indias foods manufacturing network across Northeast India and West Bengal.
Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Honble Chief Minister of Assam, said The inauguration of PepsiCo Indias foods manufacturing facility in Nalbari is another important milestone in Assams industrial growth story. This investment underscores the confidence that leading global companies have in Assams business-friendly policies, infrastructure development and skilled workforce. Beyond generating employment and economic activity, the project will strengthen the states agricultural ecosystem and create new opportunities for farmers, women and local enterprises. We welcome PepsiCo Indias continued partnership and commitment towards contributing to Assams development journey."
Jagrut Kotecha, Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo India & South Asia, said: The inauguration of our Nalbari facility marks a significant milestone in PepsiCo Indias growth journey and reinforces our long-term commitment to Indias development story. Assams strong agricultural foundation, evolving infrastructure and growing economic importance make it a natural choice for our next phase of expansion. Through this investment, we are strengthening our manufacturing footprint while creating a positive ripple effect across the value chain, from farmers and local businesses to women, young talent and communities. We are grateful to the Government of Assam for its partnership, enabling this landmark milestone.
Strengthening Agriculture and Farmer Livelihoods
The Nalbari facility will help strengthen Assams agricultural ecosystem by enabling the sourcing of chip grade potatoes benefiting more than 5,000 farmers through sustainable farming practices and creating demand for around 60,000 tonnes of cold storage capacity. PepsiCo India currently works with 600+ farmers in Assam and continues to expand its collaborative farming footprint through support in seeds, agronomy, technology, training and market access.
Driving Inclusive Growth and Womens Empowerment
The facility has created around 700 direct and indirect employment opportunities while generating prospects across MSMEs, logistics, warehousing, packaging and ancillary industries. As part of its commitment to inclusion, PepsiCo India aims to build a workforce with over 75% women representation, creating meaningful opportunities for women as part of its inclusion for growth focus.
Sustainability and Community Impact
The facility has been developed in line with PepsiCo's Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) philosophy and incorporates advanced technologies focused on operational excellence and sustainability PepsiCos broader sustainability commitments include positive agriculture, water stewardship, circular packaging and inclusive growth.
The facility is equipped with a biofuel (rice husk)-based thermic heater, solar power infrastructure, water recovery systems, and rainwater harvesting capabilities. As part of its water stewardship efforts, the plant is designed to recover water capturing its fryer vapour and through VAM processes, and efforts will be directed towards replenishing 100% of the water used at the facility. Additionally, the plant is compliant with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements, reinforcing PepsiCo India's commitment to sustainable manufacturing and environmental stewardship.
The facility has successfully achieved 1.2 MWp of onsite solar rooftop capacity, with plans to extend total onsite solar rooftop capacity to 1.9 MWp, further advancing its renewable energy goals.
Continuing with its commitment to decarbonize fleet, PepsiCo India has also launched two EV container trucks in the state, and a dedicated charging station has been installed in the facility, which will drive decarbonization of ~120,000 KM annually.
The plant reflects the company's continued efforts to build future-ready operations that support sustainable and accelerated growth.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from FoodTechBiz.