10/09/2026
: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday inaugurated PepsiCo India’s state-of-the-art food manufacturing plant at AIDO Industrial Park in Banekuchi, Nalbari district. The 44.2-acre greenfield facility is PepsiCo India’s first food manufacturing plant in the Northeast and its fifth in India.
The ₹787-crore facility has an annual production capacity of 30,000 tonnes and is expected to give a major boost to Assam’s industrial and agricultural sectors.
The plant will directly connect more than 5,000 local farmers through assured buyback arrangements and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) coverage. PepsiCo had earlier announced plans to source around 50,000 tonnes of potatoes from Assam for Lay’s production.
The facility is expected to create more than 700 jobs, with over 75% of the workforce comprising women. An adjacent 10,000-tonne cold storage unit will further support the operation.
PepsiCo has also partnered with the Assam Skill Development Mission and the Directorate of Employment and Craftsmen Training to promote women’s employability. A Community Learning Centre has also been proposed at the Women’s ITI campus in Nalbari for skill development.