Nalbari: PepsiCo India has inaugurated its new food manufacturing facility in Nalbari, Assam, with an investment of ₹778 crore. The facility is the company’s first food manufacturing plant in Assam and its fifth such plant in India.
Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the facility in the presence of PepsiCo India and South Asia CEO Jagrut Kotecha, state ministers, MLAs, senior officials, farmers and community representatives.
Spread across 44.2 acres, the plant will manufacture popular PepsiCo brands including Lay’s and Uncle Chipps. The facility is part of PepsiCo India’s planned ₹5,700-crore investment in India through 2030 and is aimed at expanding its manufacturing and supply chain network in the Northeast and West Bengal.
The project is also expected to strengthen Assam’s agricultural sector. PepsiCo said the facility will support the sourcing of chip-grade potatoes and benefit more than 5,000 farmers through sustainable farming practices. The company currently works with more than 600 farmers in Assam and provides support in seeds, technology, agronomy, training and market access.
The Nalbari plant has created around 700 direct and indirect employment opportunities, with additional business prospects for MSMEs, logistics, warehousing, packaging and other ancillary sectors. PepsiCo said it aims to have more than 75% women representation in the plant’s workforce.
The facility has also been designed with a focus on sustainable manufacturing. It includes a rice-husk-based biofuel thermic heater, solar power infrastructure, water recovery systems and rainwater harvesting facilities.
The plant currently has 1.2 MWp of rooftop solar capacity, which is planned to be increased to 1.9 MWp. PepsiCo has also introduced two electric container trucks in Assam and installed a dedicated EV charging station at the facility. The company said the initiative is expected to help decarbonise around 1.2 lakh kilometres of transport operations annually.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the investment reflects the confidence of major global companies in Assam’s business environment, infrastructure and workforce. He said the project would create employment and economic opportunities while strengthening the state’s agricultural ecosystem.
PepsiCo India CEO Jagrut Kotecha said Assam’s agricultural base, improving infrastructure and growing economic importance made the state a natural choice for the company’s expansion. He said the project would create opportunities across the value chain, including for farmers, local businesses, women and young people.
