Pepsico Plans Rs 50-Crore Investment In Karnataka

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PepsiCo India Holding Ltd plans to invest Rs 50 crore in Karnataka's food processing and allied sectors over the next few years. This is in addition to the Rs 80 crore already invested in two of its plant in the state.

At the inaugural ceremony of PepsiCo's Rs 35-crore integrated plant, set up 34 kilometres off Bangalore, company chairman P M Sinha said: "We are in touch with the state government to finalise our investment plans."

This is for the first time in the sub continent that the company has set up a facility with Common Swing Line which is capable of producing 600 bottles per minute and a juice line capable of producing 200 bottles per minute. Apart from this, Sinha said the facility could produce 300ml-to-1.5 litre bottles simultaneously.

He said the juice line would make the Slice brand for which the company will establish linkages with the farmers growing the fruits to be converted into pulp and concentrate. Earlier, in his inaugural address, the state chief minister J H Patel and the industries minister R V Deshapande urged PepsiCo to set up a food processing unit in the state and make full use of the rich harvest of fruits and vegetables that Karnataka produces. PepsiCo had one manufacturing unit near Bangalore before it set up this new unit.

The US giant had acquired an existing plant manufacturing its products from the Adai Kalraj family of Tamil Nadu. This unit was originally set up by NRIs to make the Double Cola brand of soft drinks but had run into rough weather.

Later the unit was sold to the Adai Kalraj family. from whom PepsiCo acquired the plant.

PepsiCo has an installed capacity to manufacture 1100 bottles per minute including the fruit juice -- Slice.

A part of the proposed Rs 50-crore investment plan may include capacity expansion at its new plant.

State industries department officials disclosed that the company may set up a food processing unit in the Kolar district, though details are yet to be worked out.

While arch rival Coca Cola brings its products from Tamil Nadu, PepsiCo, which entered Karnataka seven years ago, has set up two manufacturing plants.

Though Coke has a franchise in the Ladhani family-owned bottling unit in Bangalore, they use the facility for Thumps Up and other products.