Barry Callebaut Group has announced that it has opened a new chocolate and compound manufacturing facility in Baramati, India.
The factory, located about 250 km south-east of Mumbai, is the company’s biggest investment in India to date, the company added.
The new facility includes an R&D lab and assembly lines capable of manufacturing chocolate and compound in different delivery formats, catering to the needs of its customers, comprising international food manufacturers, local confectioneries, and semi-industrial bakers and patisseries.
'A New Milestone'
Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of the Barry Callebaut Group, commented, “The new factory in Baramati celebrates India’s rich chocolate heritage and marks a new milestone in Barry Callebaut’s history of direct investment in India.
“It underlines our commitment to the world’s second-most populous country, a confectionery market with great potential. In line with our ‘smart growth’ strategy, the new factory expands our local production footprint in the region.”
Once fully operational, the 20,000 square-metre facility will employ between 100 to 120 people, creating new skilled jobs, mainly in engineering and production, the company added.
The new plant also features various energy and water-saving solutions in infrastructure, production equipment, and the overall energy control system.
Other Production Hubs
Barry Callebaut also operates a chocolate factory in Pune, Maharashtra, and a specialties and decorations factory in Baramati.
Along with its existing Chocolate Academy Centre and sales office in Mumbai, the company is well-positioned to expand its work with customers to co-create innovative chocolate for local consumers.
Managing director for Barry Callebaut India, Dhruva Jyoti Sanyal, said, “The opening of our new flagship chocolate factory marks an important step forward in advancing our business across more regions of India.
“This new facility underpins our ability to deliver a broad portfolio of locally produced chocolate products that meet the increasingly diversified needs of consumers in India’s fast-growing chocolate and cocoa market.”
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
