PepsiCo, a leading beverage and food maker, announced on Wednesday that they will invest Rs 778 crore to build their first food manufacturing plant at Nalbari, Assam. The plant, which is planned to be operational in 2025, will cover 44.2 acres and is expected to create direct and indirect employment opportunities for 500 people from Assam.
This is PepsiCo’s first investment in the North Eastern region, with their portfolio of beverages and food brands including Pepsi, 7UP, Mountain Dew, Slice, Tropicana, Mirinda, Lay’s, Kurkure, Uncle Chips and Quaker Oats. A tripartite MoU has also been signed between PepsiCo India, Assam Skill Development Mission and Directorate of Employment & Craftsman Training to promote women empowerment and create a safe work environment to increase employability of women in the region.
PepsiCo’s goal is to have 100% diverse talent, with at least 75% women representation, and they intend to set up their first Community Learning Centre at Women’s ITI campus in Nalbari to upskill women in the next two years. This new facility is expected to benefit more than 5,000 farmers in the future.
India is one of the fastest growing markets for PepsiCo in the Africa, Middle East and South Asia (AMESA) region, and they are committed to investing in the nation to build capacity. PepsiCo CEO Africa, Middle East & South Asia Eugene Willemsen stated that this plant is set to blend the best of PepsiCo’s global expertise while also contributing to Assam’s overall development.
