Coca-Cola India bottler HCCB to cut 300 jobs across sales, supply chain

Around 4-6 per cent of HCCB's workforce is being cut as part of a restructuring drive, impacting teams across sales, supply chain, distribution and plant operations

Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), the bottling arm of Coca-Cola in India, has started reducing its headcount as part of a wider effort to improve margins and simplify operations, The Economic Times reported.

 

Around 300 roles are being cut across departments. The move comes months after the company appointed a new chief executive officer and reviewed its business structure.

Which teams are affected by the HCCB job cuts?

The reduction affects roughly 4–6 per cent of the workforce. The changes span several functions, including sales, supply chain, distribution and plant-level operations, the report said.

 

HCCB employs close to 5,000 people and operates 15 factories across India. These facilities bottle and distribute brands such as Coca-Cola, Thums Up, Sprite, Minute Maid and Kinley.

 

 

The company described the workforce reduction as "small in scale" and said it would not affect day-to-day operations, the report said. It added that such periodic reviews are aimed at staying competitive, efficient and flexible in a fast-changing market.

How did leadership changes precede the restructuring?

The restructuring follows a leadership transition earlier this year. In July, HCCB appointed Hemant Rupani, formerly of Mondelez International, as its new chief executive officer. He took over from Juan Pablo Rodriguez.

 

Coca-Cola remains the largest beverage player in India, with a dominant share in the carbonated soft drinks segment.

 

HCCB’s financial performance weakened in FY25. The company reported a 73 per cent decline in net profit to ₹756.64 crore, while revenue from operations fell 9 per cent to ₹12,751.29 crore, according to regulatory filings accessed through business intelligence platform Tofler. 

Why has HCCB exited bottling operations in some states?

Over the past year, HCCB exited bottling operations in Rajasthan, Bihar, the North eastern states and parts of West Bengal. These territories were transferred to existing franchise partners Moon Beverages, Kandhari Global Beverages and SLMG Beverages.

 

Coca-Cola follows a franchise-led model in India, under which it supplies concentrates while bottlers manufacture, bottle and distribute finished beverages.  ALSO READ | Campa, Lahori Zeera double market share as Cola giants lose ground in 2025

What investments are Coca-Cola bottlers planning in India?

Even as HCCB restructures, Coca-Cola’s bottling partners are committing fresh capital to the Indian market. Three major bottlers -- SLMG Beverages, HCCB and Kandhari Group -- have announced plans to invest ₹25,760 crore in food processing and beverage infrastructure, news agency PTI reported.

 

The companies have signed memoranda of understanding with the Ministry of Food Processing Industries for new and expansion projects across nine states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan and Jammu.

 

SLMG Beverages, Coca-Cola’s largest bottler in India, will invest ?8,000 crore as part of the plan. The proposed projects are expected to create about 30,000 direct jobs and nearly 300,000 indirect employment opportunities.

 

India is currently Coca-Cola’s fifth-largest market globally, and the company continues to expand its footprint through partnerships and long-term capacity additions despite near-term challenges.