The Barry Callebaut Group has officially opened its new chocolate and compound manufacturing facility in Baramati, India.
Barry Callebaut’s new factory represents its biggest investment in India to date. The new chocolate factory and warehouse include an R&D lab and assembly lines capable of manufacturing chocolate and compound in different delivery formats, catering to the various needs of its customers – international food manufacturers, local confectioneries and semi-industrial bakers and patisseries.
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 new plant also features a variety of energy and water-saving solutions in the areas of infrastructure, production equipment and the overall facility energy control system.
The factory in Baramati will also produce sustainable chocolate and compound products under the Van Houten Professional brand in the country.
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.”
In addition to the new factory, Barry Callebaut’s production network in India includes another chocolate factory in Pune (Maharashtra) and a specialties and decorations factory, also located in Baramati. Together with its existing chocolate academy and sales office in Mumbai, the company states it “is well positioned to expand its work with customers to co-create innovative chocolate for local consumers”.
Dhruva Jyoti Sanyal, Managing Director for Barry Callebaut India, added: “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.”
