Britannia Bel Foods, a key player in India’s cheese market, has taken a significant step in its growth journey by announcing the inauguration of its new cheese factory in Ranjangaon, Maharashtra.
This facility will locally produce “Britannia The Laughing Cow” cheese products, deepening the joint venture between Britannia and France’s Bel Group, which began nearly two years ago. The plant represents a investment of approximately ₹220 crores and aims to produce 10,000 tons of high-quality cheese annually to meet the increasing demand from Indian consumers.
Supporting local farmers
The new factory is fully integrated with Britannia’s extensive milk procurement program, sourcing 400,000 liters of cow’s milk daily from over 3,000 farmers in Pune and surrounding areas. This initiative, which includes 70 Village-Level Bulk Milk Coolers spread across 10 tehsils, ensures a sustainable supply chain and boosts local agricultural development. The milk collected undergoes rigorous quality testing, with 31 quality parameters checked at the site and an additional 20 tests conducted before it is accepted at the factory.
State-of-the-art facilities
The new facility in Ranjangaon is equipped with cutting-edge technology and will manufacture a wide range of cheese products, including cheddar, mozzarella, and processed cheese. With five production lines, the plant has an annual production capacity of 6,000 tons of natural cheese and 10,000 tons of processed cheese. Advanced equipment, such as pasteurizers and bactofuges, ensures the highest standards of food safety and quality.
Commenting at the launch of this facility, Varun Berry, Executive Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Britannia Industries, said, “ The choice of Ranjangaon is a strategic one, as Maharashtra’s leadership in milk production aligns with our vision to create a hub for premium, locally sourced dairy products. We believe the new cheese facility will further strengthening Britannia and Bel Group’s strategic partnership and commitment to driving growth and innovation in the industry”.
Cécile Béliot, CEO of Bel Group, said: “ At Bel Group, we aim at contributing to healthier and more sustainable food, creating value alongside our ecosystem, with accessible products answering local nutritional needs. I believe that Britannia and Bel, through this joint venture, and even more now with the opening of this factory have the right know-how and market capabilities at hand to take a leading position with Britannia The Laughing Cow in India.”
Abhishek Sinha, CEO Britannia Bel Foods Private Ltdsaid, “Britannia Bel Foods’s state-of-the-art Cheese facility brings the best of Bel Groups’ global expertise to India, combining cutting-edge technology with world-class manufacturing standards”.