Tata coffee begins work on freeze-dried coffee plant in

Tata Coffee today said it has begun setting up of freeze-dried coffee plant in Vietnam.

"The groundbreaking ceremony officially marked the beginning of the coffee plant that aims to produce 5,000 tonnes per annum of freeze-dried coffee," Tata Coffee said in a statement.

The plant is expected to start operation in the next 18- 21 months.

"The Tata group already has a close relationship with Vietnam in various sectors -- including automobiles, steel, trading, energy and watches. With this investment, beverages will also become a major sector of participation," said Sanjiv Sarin, Managing Director & CEO of Tata Coffee.

Vietnam is the largest producer of robustas and offers a convenient source of raw material for the plant.