PepsiCo announces Rs 33,000 crore mega investment plan for India

New Delhi, Nov 11: Global beverages and snacks major PepsiCo has announced that it will invest Rs 33,000 crore in India by 2020 to ramp up operations.

The company, which has so far invested $2 billion in India since its entry in 1989, said the proposed investment will strengthen its capability in various strategic areas, including innovation, manufacturing, infrastructure and agriculture.

"PepsiCo is going to make an investment of Rs 33,000 crore in India between now and 2020, that is $5.5 billion...," PepsiCo chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi said on Monday.

India has been one of the top five markets of PepsiCo and it has eight brands which clock turnover of over Rs 1,000 crore in the market.

The company has 42 plants across India and apart from cold drinks like Pepsi, 7UP, Mirinda and Mountain Dew, it sells snacks under Lehar, Uncle Chipps and Kurkure brands, among others.

"India is a country with huge potential and it remains an attractive high priority market for PepsiCo. We believe we have only scratched the surface of long term growth opportunities that exist for PepsiCo and our partners," Nooyi said.

Elaborating further, she said: "The reason we are making investment in India is because we believe India is a terrific growth story and PepsiCo has a great business in India. We believe that the story is still unfolding and we want to grow in India, with India, for India and this investment showcases our confidence in India and its growth prospects."

Responding to a query, Nooyi said: "We are not guided by elections. We are guided by potential of India. We are not waiting for any election results to invest in India. We are investing in India for its economic story."

In 2010, the company had said it was investing $500 million to sustain its growth in India, following up on a similar investment it had made in 2008.

PTI