PepsiCo thrills AP

Tirupati: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday inaugurated the first phase of global beverages giant PepsiCo’s greenfield manufacturing facility at the Sri City Integrated Business City in Chittoor district. Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo, was present on the occasion. "We are extremely delighted to be the host to PepsiCo’s state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in the country," Naidu said, after the inauguration.

The plant will manufacture a range of beverages, including fruit juice-based drinks, carbonated soft drinks, and sports drinks. When fully operational it will have nine production lines, the first of which was commenced on Friday. The beverages major invested close to Rs 500 crore for the first phase facility."The plant will entail a previously announced total investment of over Rs 1,200 crore, a re-enforcement of PepsiCo’s long-term commitment to India," said Indra Nooyi.

The state-of-the-art plant will also be company’s most water efficient plant in the country, she added. The first phase of the plant is spread over 86 acres. When fully completed, the plant is estimated to benefit nearly 33,000 farmers due to local sourcing of mangoes and other fruits. "Operationalisation of this plant has begun a fresh chapter in the industrial journey of the state.

The fact is that this plant will generate employment opportunities for thousands, provides a much-needed impetus to economic growth and development of the state. For more than 25 years, PepsiCo has been investing in the Indian economy and its people," Nooyi explained. According to PepsiCo, nearly a quarter of all employees of its SriCity facility will be women, making it one of the most gender-diverse plants in India.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also inaugurated 11 other units and took part in the ground-breaking ceremony of 11 other units at the Sri City, one of the successful special economic zones in the country. At present, the SEZ is home to over 106 companies that employ over 25,000 directly.