French flavoured syrup maker Monin broke ground on Wednesday for a manufacturing plant near Hyderabad, its first such in India, which will come up on 40 acres and entail an investment of ₹300 crore.
“We have been selling in India for more than 15 years now. Our growth has been steady... [it’s time now] to become an Indian. This is what we have achieved in some countries. Building a plant here in Hyderabad is a very important goal,” Georges Monin SAS president and chairman Olivier Monin said.
In an interaction exclusive to The Hindu, ahead of the ground breaking ceremony in which Industries and IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao and others participated, Mr. Monin said this highlighting the growth potential.
At present, the company caters to customers in major cities in India with products imported from its Malaysian plant. The firm is keen on growing its presence, especially to Tier II and III cities. Towards this, the first phase of the plant will produce “ten times more than what we sell today in India,” he said, adding over time it could emerge as a hub for South Asia.
Besides making many of Monin’s global portfolio of 160 different flavours, the plant aided by the work at a research and development centre the family-owned business had established in Hyderabad about four years ago will dish local flavours like Spicy Jamun, which is famous in Kolkata. On the market in India, he said that though the country contributed to around 5-7% of the total sales worldwide, the potential is higher here.
“We are bullish to manufacture Indian flavours... they can be first introduced in India before we take them to other Monin entities, thereby providing premium beverage solutions to all our partners worldwide,” Monin India Managing Director Germain Araud said.
The firm, which now has 60 people in Hyderabad, primarily into sales and marketing roles, expects to hire 100 more for the plant. “It is just the beginning, we will hire more,” Mr. Monin added. On selecting Hyderabad, he said that though others in many States were considered, “We found this to be the best... it had water, and government was also very helpful. Besides, Hyderabad is centrally located in terms of reaching to markets across the country.”
It will be a zero waste plant and expected to begin commercial production by December 2025. Overtime the firm intends to ramp up sourcing. “Within five years, 95% of the ingredients will come locally,” he said.
After the ground-breaking, Mr. Rao said that with Monin’s move, food processing ecosystem of Telangana has gone a notch up. He urged the company to make the plant in Gunthapally village of Sangareddy district its hub and employ more locals. The Minister also called upon elected representatives of the area to help the company.
In a release, the company said that the plan is to develop a more than 2 lakh sq ft build-up area that will house the Monin India headquarters, R&D centre and production unit.
