FDBusiness.com

A new Nestle investment in India will increase the company’s production capacity in one of the fastest growing emerging markets worldwide. The factory extension at Nestle’s existing site in Ponda, Goa – part of the company’s 7 billion Indian Rupee (Eur100 million) investment in the state over the past three years – will produce brand favourites such as Kit Kat and Munch. It will create employment for nearly 250 people.

“We have been in India for 100 years and have factories in eight locations across the country,” says Jean-Marc Duvoisin, global head of human resources at Nestle. “Our decision to invest in a new manufacturing facility in Ponda is a clear indication that we have confidence in the region and its environment.”

In recent years Nestle has invested heavily to increase capacity, set up new factories and modernise and expand existing ones in India. This includes a new manufacturing site in Nanjangud in Karnataka producing Maggi sauces, noodles, bouillons and seasoning, and a new factory in Tahliwal, Himachal Pradesh, which will manufacture Maggi noodles as well as chocolate and confectionery products.

Nestle India’s first manufacturing facility was set up in 1961 in Moga, Punjab, to help develop milk production in the region. The company has since developed the area around the Moga factory, setting up milk collection points and training farmers to improve productivity and quality.