Mars International India, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mars, Inc has announced it is on track with plans for its first chocolate factory in India. It signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Maharashtra Government at the Vidhan Sabha in Mumbai – a significant step in deepening Mars International India’s presence and commitment to India.
Mars, Incorporated intends to invest Rs 1005 crores (over $160 million) in the new factory at Pune. It is designed to deliver Mars’ quality products to the consumer and positively impact the communities within which they operate by providing local employment opportunities and community engagement program.
The project is expected to generate direct employment opportunities for over 200 people and indirect employment opportunities to over 1000 people. The plant will produce Mars’ world renowned brands Snickers and Galaxy to cater to the growing chocolate demand across the country.
MV Natarajan, General Manager, Mars International India, said, “This initiative reiterates our continued commitment to India. The chocolate industry in India is growing at nearly 20% every year and we see this as a huge opportunity to expand our chocolate portfolio in the country in the coming years. Pune is an investor friendly and progressive city and we are delighted to deepen our commitment to India with our investment of Rs.1005 crores there. The climate, geography, talent availability, proximity to port, therefore to raw material and the proximity to demand cluster, makes Pune one of the most viable locations for chocolate manufacturing. Our Pune plant is planned to be completely eco-friendly and a LEED GOLD certified facility. This will boost our production capacity and efficiently support the growing demand for Mars chocolates in India.”
In India, Mars operates in two categories, a Pet care manufacturing and marketing business; and a Chocolate importation and marketing operation. The chocolate segment has its corporate office in Gurgaon, New Delhi. The pet care business is based in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh with its corporate office in Hyderabad. MARS India is presently engaged in manufacturing pet food under its global brands PEDIGREE and WHISKAS. MARS India chocolate portfolio includes: SNICKERS, GALAXY, MARS, Bounty and Twix.