Varun Beverages starts commercial production of carbonated drinks at Gorakhpur facility

Varun Beverages, leading bottler of beverage major PepsiCo, on Saturday said it has started commercial production of soft drinks and energy drinks from its production facility at Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.

The Jaipuria family-promoted firm will also start juices and value-added dairy products from the Gorakhpur facility, Varun Beverages Ltd (VBL) said in a regulatory filing.

"Our company has today started commercial production of carbonated soft drinks & energy drinks (juices and value added dairy products to be started) at its production facility at Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh," it said.

VBL said it is investing about Rs 1,100 crore for the greenfield project.

In its latest annual report statement, VBL said it is expanding production capacities in the juices and value-added dairy products segments in 2024.

VBL operates across six countries. Three markets of the Indian Subcontinent -- India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal contributed 83 per cent of its net revenues, while three African countries -- Morocco, Zambia, and Zimbabwe -- contributed the remaining 17 per cent in 2023.

VBL accounts for more than 90 per cent of PepsiCo's beverage sales volume in India.

It manufactures, markets, and distributes a range of PepsiCo-owned products, which include carbonated soft drinks, carbonated juice-based beverages, juice-based beverages, energy drinks, sports drinks, and packaged drinking water.

VBL, which follows the calendar as its financial year, had in 2023 reported net revenues of Rs 16,042.58 crore.