Barry Callebaut is set to establish its new chocolate and compound factory in the Ghiloth industrial area, situated in Neemrana, approximately 120 km southwest of Delhi. This facility, upon completion, is poised to become Barry Callebaut’s largest chocolate-producing market in the Asia Pacific region. The company’s total investment in India over the past five years is anticipated to surpass CHF 50 million ($52 million) with this development.
This significant investment underscores Barry Callebaut’s sustained commitment to India over the last 15 years, beginning with the inauguration of the first Chocolate Academy in Mumbai in 2007. Presently, the company operates two factories in Baramati, specializing in the production of high-quality chocolate and compound.
Jo Thys, President of Barry Callebaut in Asia Pacific, expressed the company’s ambition to become the market leader for high-quality chocolate and cocoa products in India, emphasizing the country’s strategic importance in the region. The Neemrana facility, covering 20,000 m2, is scheduled to be operational in 2024 and will feature advanced assembly lines capable of manufacturing chocolate and compound in diverse formats to cater to the needs of international food manufacturers, local confectioneries, and semi-industrial bakers and patisseries. The factory will also house a warehouse and a research & development laboratory.
India, recognized as one of the fastest-growing chocolate markets globally, has seen a remarkable +26% growth in chocolate confectionery sales volume in 2021 and a CAGR of +10% between 2017-2021, according to Nielsen. Dhruva Jyoti Sanyal, Managing Director for Barry Callebaut India, emphasized the strategic positioning of the new Neemrana factory as a northern hub, bringing the company closer to customers and creating opportunities to introduce high-quality products and industry-leading innovations in response to the rising demand for premium chocolate in the country.