South Korean food & beverage company Orion said it has invested Rs 200 crore to set up a manufacturing facility at Bhiwadi in Rajasthan and plans to hire 1,000 people in India in the next two years to expand its business, according to PTI report.
The plant spread over 17,385-square-meter will produce the ‘original Choco-Pie’ beside its ‘soon to be introduced’ product portfolio as part of its growth drive in India, the company said in a statement.
Commenting on the development, Saurabh Saith, Orion India CEO, said, “Our state-of-the-art India manufacturing facility is a step toward our expansion drive which will not only allow us to build a strong supply chain for the domestic market but will also help us tailor our products as per Indian consumers’ preferences.”
“The company is working actively to bring the best of ‘K-Food’ and Orion’s specialties catering to the tastes of Indian consumers, he said adding, “given the annual confectionery market of around USD 15 billion for a 1.3 billion population, there is a huge scope for a player like us”.
The company said it has “already onboarded 250 employees to drive brand’s growth in India and is aiming at adding 1,000 more to its India team in the next two years”.
Orion said it has partnered with confectionary specialist Mann Ventures for the production of Choco-Pie locally.
“In the coming months, Orion plans to add more ‘made in India’ products to its offerings and will be introducing more global offerings to Indian consumers,” the statement said.
The new plant will also cater to local taste preferences and is producing a 100 per cent vegetarian range of Choco Pies, it added.
India is the 10th overseas production base of the South Korean firm, which also has manufacturing units in Korea, Vietnam, Russia, and other locations.
“The new factory will support Orion’s expansion plans and will cater to the taste preferences of Indian consumers. Given the rising popularity of Korean products in India, Orion is optimistic about its India plans and is actively growing its teams within the organisation and as its point of sale,” it added.
