By Sabyasachi Samajdar, FoodBizDaily.com Bureau Chief – New Delhi
June 22 2009 – PepsiCo India has decided to set up a state-of-the-art warehouse for storage of potato.
“Sourcing chip-grade potatoes remains a challenge. We are establishing a state-of-the-art warehouse, a first in India, near our manufacturing facility in West Bengal,” Gautham Mukkavilli, CEO, Frito-Lay India and PepsiCo President (India Region) said.
Mr. Mukkavilli also said, “A third party is putting up the warehouse for us and we are helping them collaborate with our global experts for the technology involved”.
Frito-Lay, the food arm of the company, uses around 150,000 tons of potatoes per annum for its products, 50% of which comes from contract farming. PepsiCo has partnered with more than 10,000 farmers working in over 12,000 acres across India for the supply of potatoes.
“We plan to triple the number of farmers we work with over the next two-three years,” Mr. Mukkavilli added.
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Pepsico India Holding Private Limited
Address: Global Business Park, Tower – A, 4th floor, Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, Gurgaon 122002
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About Pepsico India Holding Private Limited
PepsiCo is one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, with 2008 annual revenues of more than $43 billion. The company employs approximately 198,000 people worldwide, and its products are sold in approximately 200 countries. Its principal businesses include: Frito-Lay snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices and Quaker foods.
PepsiCo entered India in 1989 and has grown to become the country’s largest selling food and beverage company. One of the largest multinational investors in the country, PepsiCo has established a business which aims to serve the long term dynamic needs of consumers in India. The group has built an expansive beverage, snack food and exports business and to support the operations are the group’s 41 bottling plants in India, of which 13 are company owned and 28 are franchisee owned. In addition to this, PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay snack division has 3 state of the art plants. PepsiCo’s business is based on its sustainability vision of making tomorrow better than today. PepsiCo India’s commitment to living by this vision every day is visible in its contribution to the country, consumers, farmers and people.
Source: PepsiCo