Thanks to its large population base, significant tropical monsoon climate, and rapidly developing economy, India’s soft drink market has experienced significant growth over the past decade.
India is Coca-Cola’s fifth-largest market globally. Coca-Cola operates with 11 bottling partners in India, running 54 factories nationwide, with 16 of them being company-owned. Coca-Cola provides its bottlers with branding, cola concentrates, and marketing support, while the bottlers have full control over the manufacturing and supply chain processes. This collaboration drives market share growth, improves cost efficiency, and optimizes resource allocation.
SLMG Beverages, headquartered in Lucknow, is the flagship company of India’s renowned Ladhani Group and has maintained a partnership with Coca-Cola for over 30 years. It has gradually become one of Coca-Cola’s largest independent bottlers in India and the broader Southwest Asia region. Currently, SLMG operates seven production plants in Uttar Pradesh, with over 1,500 distributors and more than 30 warehouses, serving 1.5 million retail outlets in its territory. The company bottles over 40 million units daily, producing and distributing a variety of carbonated soft drinks as well as a significant range of non-carbonated beverages, including bottled water. SLMG aims to achieve approximately INR 100 billion in revenue by 2025 and strives to become one of the world’s top ten Coca-Cola bottlers by 2030, building a high-performance, future-ready, and sustainable organization.
With the rapid growth in market demand, SLMG has decided to invest INR 7 billion in constructing a fully automated, modern bottling plant in the Trishundi Industrial Area of Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, while also expanding the capacity of its existing facility in Unnao. The company plans to procure four high-speed, state-of-the-art PET production lines in one go, covering all Coca-Cola product categories. Newamstar has been deeply engaged in the Indian market for many years, working closely with its local partner PSI. With over 30 production lines commissioned across India, covering carbonated soft drinks, hot-fill juices, and bottled water, Newamstar has earned the trust of local beverage giants such as Parle Agro and Varun Beverages, steadily enhancing its reputation and credibility in the Indian market. In the past, Newamstar has also provided comprehensive beverage production line solutions for Coca-Cola in multiple markets, including China. With outstanding production line efficiency and a strong reputation for responsible service, Newamstar has gained Coca-Cola’s recognition. After thorough research and careful evaluation, SLMG ultimately chose to sign a partnership agreement with Newamstar.
Time was tight, and the task was demanding. Upon signing the contract, Newamstar swiftly mobilized its relevant departments to meticulously study Coca-Cola’s product requirements and the client’s technical specifications, designing tailored solutions accordingly. Simultaneously, production and assembly were accelerated despite challenges such as post-pandemic delays in electrical component deliveries and the difficulty of booking shipment at the end of the year. Ultimately, factory acceptance was successfully completed before the 2023 Chinese New Year, and all four high-speed production lines were delivered to the SLMG plant.
However, Newamstar’s engineers were unable to obtain Indian visas for on-site installation and commissioning, leaving the task to be executed by the local partner, PSI. Fortunately, during the previous two years of the pandemic, Newamstar had conducted multiple in-house training sessions for PSI personnel. Additionally, the PSI team had already participated in the installation and commissioning of several production lines in the Indian market, equipping them with both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in operating Newamstar’s systems.
To ensure a flawless and efficient project execution, Newamstar arranged two online support teams working in shifts 24/7, providing remote guidance to guarantee the timely and smooth commissioning of the production lines. After four months of effort, all four lines successfully passed Coca-Cola’s validation and were approved for commercial production.
SLMG’s leadership highly praised both the Newamstar and PSI teams, as this marked the first time in SLMG’s history that production lines had been commissioned entirely through remote guidance. This achievement was a testament to the superior stability, high level of automation, and intelligent design of Newamstar’s equipment.
The successful commissioning of the Trishundi plant was yet another testament to the seamless collaboration between Newamstar and its local partner PSI, as well as a milestone in its deepening partnership with SLMG. It not only showcased Newamstar’s strong product capabilities but also demonstrated its top-tier service quality, further strengthening the bond between the companies.
In mid-2023, with the surging demand for juice products in the Indian market, SLMG decided to expand the capacity of its Chata plant to bridge the supply gap and achieve a new market balance. Naturally, Newamstar took on this project, and the juice production line has since been successfully commissioned, helping SLMG enhance its operational efficiency.
Looking ahead, Newamstar and SLMG are poised for even broader collaboration, continuously driving business growth and expanding market presence. Wishing SLMG even greater success, and hoping it will soon join the ranks of the world’s top ten Coca-Cola bottlers, taking firm strides toward sustainable development!
