New Delhi, Jul 27 (PTI) SLMG Beverages, the largest bottler for Coca-Cola in India, has recorded double-digit growth in sales in the April-June quarter and expects the momentum to continue through the ongoing festive season, said its Joint Managing Director Paritosh Ladhani.
Besides, SLMG Beverages is progressing with the setting up of new greenfield plants in both states to support its next phase of growth as part of its five-year investment plan of over Rs 5,000 crore.
“Quarter 2 (April-June) was good; we have a double-digit growth,” Ladhani told PTI on the sidelines of an event here.
He further said the company has had a good run in July and expects to continue the momentum.
“In H2, hopefully we should do well. We could perform better from what
we have done in H1 as in July we have started well,” Ladhani said, and attributed this performance to the company’s on-ground execution, market strategies, product mix and pricing.
“The right execution, right strategies, right products and right pricing in the market, everything was there… it has been a good quarter for us,” Ladhani said.
In FY26, SLMG Beverages revenue was nearly Rs 10,000 crore.
On the festive season outlook, Ladhani said the company has consistently grown during festivals through market activations, new packs and packaging innovations.
“Every festive season they (Indian consumers) go ahead and make it better. So we bank on that only… we launch new products to increase their happiness,” he said.
Asked about volatility in commodity prices, Ladhani said, “This is not the first time that commodity prices have increased… sometimes it goes down, sometimes it goes up, so that’s how you live with it. The best way to ride all these obstacles is to keep on growing.” On expansion plans, Ladhani reiterated the company’s commitment to invest more than Rs 5,000 crore over the next five years in UP and Bihar. Of this, Rs 1,200 crore has already been invested in a new facility in Buxar, Bihar, spread over 70 acres, he said.
The company is also in talks for a similar-sized facility in Hajipur, Bihar, over 70 acres, entailing an investment of more than Rs 1,000 crore, Ladhani said, adding that no final agreement has been signed yet.
“We are in talks with the state government,” he said.
SLMG Beverages, which is among the top 15 Coca-Cola bottlers globally, holds bottling rights for Coca-Cola in the high-density markets of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar along with Uttarakhand. PTI KRH UJN DRR
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