Guwahati, 4th March: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to social media platform X to share visuals of the initial dispatches of truckloads of potatoes from Dibrugarh on March 4.
In his post, the chief minister highlighted PepsiCo’s significant investment of ₹778 crore in Assam in September 2023. He underscored that following this investment, Assam farmers would supply 50,000 tonnes of potatoes to the company’s factories.
PepsiCo India’s investment aims to establish a state-of-the-art food-centric manufacturing plant in Assam, enhancing market access in the northeast region. The manufacturing facility, spanning 44.2 acres in Nalbari, is slated to commence operations in 2025, offering direct and indirect employment opportunities to approximately 500 individuals.
PepsiCo India plans to support regional farmers through the adoption of advanced technology, high-quality seeds, and cost-effective machinery. The company’s objective is to procure 50,000 tonnes of potatoes from Assam for the production of its renowned brand, Lay’s.
Additionally, the plant is expected to drive demand for cold storage capacity, with projections indicating a need for 60,000 tonnes in the near future. Eugene Willemsen, the Chief Executive Officer for Africa, Middle East & South Asia at PepsiCo, emphasized the importance of capacity building in India, one of the fastest-growing markets for PepsiCo in the AMESA region. PepsiCo initiated its operations in the country in 1989, marking a longstanding commitment to the Indian market.
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