Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), the bottling arm of the Coca-Cola Company, is set to invest ₹3,000 crore to set up a new plant in Rajkot, Gujarat. The company said it will establish a state-of-the-art facility for juice and aerated beverages, which is expected to commence operations in 2026.

The company signed a MoU with the State government on Wednesday ahead of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024.

“This venture, along with HCCB’s existing facilities in Goblej in the Kheda district and Sanand in the Ahmedabad district, underscores the company’s significant presence in Gujarat. This venture is proposed to take HCCB’s total employee strength in the State to more than 1,500 individuals. HCCB’s robust network in Gujarat also includes approximately 285 distributors and over 224,000 retailers, highlighting its extensive reach and impact in the State,” HCCB said in a statement.

“The Government of Gujarat, in turn, has assured comprehensive support to facilitate HCCB in obtaining all necessary permissions, registrations, approvals, and clearances, in a time-bound manner, as per the State’s policies and regulations,” the company’s statement added.

The company said it will also launch various social initiatives in partnership with the Y4D Foundation across 11 villages in Gujarat. The plan includes enhancing education by introducing digital smartboards, providing clean water through water ATMs, and improving community health with WASH camps projected to benefit 20,000 people. Additionally, a primary healthcare centre by HCCB will offer medical services to over 20,000 community members. In agriculture, 1,000 farmers will be given training in sustainable practices.