Hyderabad/Bourges (France)
In a press release issued on August 2, French gourmet flavour business and global beverage solutions leader Georges MONIN SAS (MONIN) said it had announced an investment of INR 200 crores for its first phase of setting up a manufacturing plant in Telangana.
MONIN had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Industries & Commerce in 2018 and announced an initial investment of INR 100 crores to set up a manufacturing plant in India.
The French business has since opened its wholly-owned subsidiary in Hyderabad as MONIN India Pvt Ltd and has acquired 40 acres of land for its manufacturing site. It has also set up an in-house R&D centre in Hyderabad which is key to understanding the Indian flavour palette and developing new flavours and product categories on top of MONIN’s existing range of popular flavours.
The press release says that Monin is true to its commitment to investing in 'Make in India'. Despite the setback due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the company has now doubled its investment for the plant, targeting completion by 2023.
This model facility is based on modern construction standards, in line with MONIN's commitment to sustainable manufacturing. As per global standards, the facility will be founded on green manufacturing and carbon neutrality principles with capabilities of water conservation and solar energy systems.
In addition, as an integral part of the Indo-French business community in the country, Monin also extended its support to the Covid relief initiatives of the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI) over EUR 6.1 million (approx. INR 55 crore) for the provision of oxygen plants, concentrators and medical supply to Indian hospitals.
"With the increased investment of 200 crores, India remains a top-priority market for MONIN," says Olivier Monin, Chairman, MONIN. "We have come a long way since our first tryst with India 23 years ago — from supplying our portfolio through a single distributor to setting up our subsidiary and R&D centre and now on a steady path towards an entire greenfield facility – it has been nothing short of a resilient success story for our family-run business, and we have India to thank for it."
With its Indian headquarters in Hyderabad, MONIN has placed seamless operational processes to ensure efficient delivery systems and quality control for India's sales and distribution, the release says. Through its local team of seasoned sales and marketing personnel, MONIN India presently has a growing network of over 100 distribution partners pan-India.
Known to derive inspiration from connecting with communities and driving innovation, MONIN has also announced its first state-of-the-art MONIN studio in India at The Dhan Mill, New Delhi. This unique experience centre, set to open by the second half of August, would be vital to engage with the local Horeca professionals and create unique tasting experiences around MONIN products in the country.
"MONIN brings more than a century of traditional artisanal beverage knowhow to cater to Indian hospitality professionals and consumers," says Germain Araud, Managing Director, MONIN India. "Our persistence to grow with India has borne great results, and it is an exciting time for us to be a part of India's journey to soaring heights within the global drinks industry. We have great confidence that the meeting between the extremely evolved flavour palette of Indians and Monin’s rich heritage of bringing innovative flavours to the world will produce ground-breaking innovations."
MONIN is globally renowned as the brand of choice for hospitality professionals (bartenders and baristas). With over 150 flavours across 150 countries, it has sold over 100 million bottles all over the world. The release said that MONIN took pride in its best practices such as responsible sourcing, natural ingredients, no artificial flavouring or colouring in a majority of its portfolio, and the use of pure cane sugar for its syrups.