UK yeast maker AB Mauri to set up Rs 1,100 cr unit in Pilibhit, UP

State has allotted 257 acres to MNC, project likely to create 5,000 jobs

UK-based yeast and bakery ingredients maker, AB Mauri, will invest about Rs 1,100 crore in a greenfield yeast manufacturing plant in Uttar Pradesh.

For this purpose, UP State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA) has allotted nearly 257 acres of land to the multinational company (MNC) at Bhara Pachpedwa village in Pilibhit district to set up its unit.

The project is likely to create fresh job opportunities for more than 5,000 people and spur industrial development in the entire catchment area of Pilibhit district, which is located in the terai (Himalayan foothills) region of UP.

Interestingly, the state had received the proposal of the AB Mauri project during the first wave of Covid-19 pandemic last year. However, considering the quantum of proposed investment by the MNC, job creation potential and expected multiplier effect, the government acted expeditiously to process its application and allot the land parcel.

“Since, the project would be developed in Pilibhit flanking the Bareilly-Haridwar highway, it would cater to the markets in both UP and the adjoining state of Uttarakhand,” a government spokesperson said here.

The local manufacturing of yeast by the UK-headquartered major is also expected to boost the local industry in the entire value chain encompassing sugar, agriculture, distillery, soft drinks and medicines, apart from promoting the domestic bakery industry.

Currently, the Indian arm of AB Mauri operates production facilities in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka.

Meanwhile, the Adityanath government is aggressively wooing big companies, both national and international, to invest in UP across different sectors by promising sops and faster processing of applications, including land allotment.

To incentivise investors, the state has launched an integrated system of uploading details about available industrial land bank in UP through Geographic Information System (GIS).

Moreover, the government has recast existing policies and framed new ones to attract investment and liberalise the industrial landscape. Last year, UP was ranked 2nd in terms of ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in India. Now, the state is eyeing the top slot in the next ranking.