BakeryBiz, Mar-Apr, 2021
The groups new chocolate and compound manufacturing plant in Baramati is its third such facility in India and its biggest investment in the country.
The Barry Callebaut Group, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, announced the official opening of its new chocolate and compound manufacturing facility, located in Baramati, Maharashtra. The new 215,000-square foot plant, features an R&D lab and assembly lines capable of manufacturing chocolate and compound in different delivery formats. It also includes energy and water-saving solutions in the areas of infrastructure, production equipment and the overall facility energy control system. Once fully operational it will employ between 100 to 120 workers.
In addition to supplying industrial chocolate to food manufacturers and confectioneries, the factory in Baramati will also produce sustainable chocolate and compound products under the Van Houten Professional brand in the country. Barry Callebaut now offers a wide range of chocolate products in India. This includes specialties and decorations chocolates, which are also produced in Barry Callebaut’s existing factory in Baramati. These steps will help Barry Callebaut to achieve its ambition of manufacturing the finest “Make in India” chocolate.
“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,” said Antoine de Saint-Affrique, Chief Executive Officer of Barry Callebaut. “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 chocolate plant in Baramati, Barry Callebaut operates a chocolate plant in Pune (Maharashtra) and a specialties and ecorations facility in Baramati. The company also has a Chocolate Academy Center and sales office in Mumbai.
Barry Callebaut said it has experienced double-digit growth in India over the past four years as consumers have responded favorably to the company’s innovative chocolate products, including the debut of Ruby chocolate.
“The opening of our new flagship chocolate factory marks an important step forward in advancing our business across more regions of India,” said Dhruva Jyoti Sanyal, managing director of Barry Callebaut 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.”
