Guwahati: In the next few years, you might see Lay’s potato chips coming from Nalbari district in Assam. PepsiCo is setting up its first food-focussed manufacturing plant in Assam, easing market access in the northeast region. The plant will be operational by 2025.
PepsiCo India will assist farmers in the region by using state-of-the-art technology, high-quality seeds and affordable machinery, and has a goal of sourcing 50,000 tonnes of potatoes from the state to produce its iconic brand Lay’s.
The plant will also generate demand for cold storage capacity of 60,000 tonnes over the next few years, PepsiCo said in a statement.
The proposed plant at the AIDC Industrial Park in Nalbari district would cost about Rs 778 crore. Once completed, the greenfield plant will generate employment opportunities for around 500 individuals.
PepsiCo India also signed a tripartite MoU with the Assam Skill Development Mission and Directorate of Employment and Craftsmen Training to enhance women’s employability in the region. The plant is expected to generate opportunities for the MSME industry, including packaging products like laminates, cartons, scrap and other local ancillary industries.
“Through the creation of employment opportunities and by empowering the farming community, our aim is to support the government’s drive for self-sufficiency in potato production. Our skilling initiatives will further focus on fostering an ecosystem of economic empowerment for the women of Assam, equipping them with essential training and parity in opportunities,” said Ahmed ElSheikh, President, PepsiCo India.
Speaking at the bhumi-pujan ceremony of PepsiCo India Food Manufacturing Plant at Nalbari today, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the setting up of the 6th plant of PepsiCo India in Nalbari is an important event in the history of industrialization in the state.
“Assam is gaining prominence as an attractive investment hub, drawing the attention of numerous investors owing to its business-friendly policies,” he said.
” The investment of PepsiCo is one of the largest investments in Assam. This important occasion marks the beginning of a new partnership between Assam Government and PepsiCo India for a better and developed Assam,” he said.
Sarma said the state government has positively approached the proposal from PepsiCo and provided various incentives to facilitate the establishment of this ambitious industrial investment in Assam, including quality infrastructure support of road, power supply etc. and also financial incentives.
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He said that PepsiCo India’s plant in Nalbari is expected to be operational by 2025. The plant is designed to generate employment for over 500 individuals, with a focus on achieving a 100 per cent diverse workforce, comprised of at least 75 per cent women.
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