PepsiCo bottling plant to come up in Prayagraj: UP Minister

Prayagraj, Sep 5 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Minister for industrial development, export promotion, NRI and investment promotion Nand Gopal Gupta 'Nandi' has said that Varun Beverages -- the second largest bottling company of PepsiCo's beverages in the world outside the US -- will soon set up its plant in Saraswati Hi-Tech City in Naini in Prayagraj.

This, he said, was a part of the state government's efforts to revive and develop the Naini Industrial Area of Prayagraj.

"For this, the company will invest Rs 1,000 crore and directly provide employment to around 3,000 people. Saraswati Hi-Tech City is being developed as an Industrial Model Township in Naini with separate industrial, residential and commercial sectors by the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA). It has been envisaged as a non-polluting industrial, residential commercial, institutional and sports sector," he said.

The minister said that the allotment letter will be given to Varun Beverages (Pepsi Company) soon and on receiving the allotment letter, the company will start the work of setting up the plant after performing the ground breaking ceremony.

In order to accelerate the industrial investments in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the first 100 days of his second term in office had organised ground- breaking ceremony-3 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 3 in which country's leading entrepreneurs had participated and foundation stones for an investment of Rs 80,224 crore were laid.

In the ground-breaking ceremony itself, an investment of Rs 2,000 crore was committed by Varun Beverages in Uttar Pradesh.

Fulfilling this commitment, Varun Beverages applied for setting up a plant in Bargarh area of Mau tehsil in Chitrakoot district with an investment of Rs 496.57 crore.

Taking quick action on this, Prayagraj regional office of UPSIDA had allotted 68.73 acre land to Varun Beverages within 15 days. With the establishment of PepsiCo's plant in Bargarh in Chitrakoot, more than 1200 people will get employment, officials said.