The Lucknow-headquartered SLMG Beverages, bottlers for The Coca-Cola Company, which manufactures and distributes a wide range of non-alcoholic beverages across categories, closed the year 2025 with revenues exceeding Rs 8,000 crore, driven by steady consumer demand across its portfolio and phased capacity additions. The company plans to carry this momentum into 2026 and is actively working toward crossing the Rs 10,000-crore revenue milestone the following year.
Talking to Packaging South Asia, Paritosh Ladhani, joint managing director, SLMG Beverages, outlined a capex plan of over Rs 8,000 crore, focused on expanding manufacturing capacity, strengthening logistics infrastructure, and scaling up its electric vehicle fleet. These investments are aligned with The Coca-Cola Company’s Rs 25,760-crore MoU in India and are expected to significantly strengthen the beverage value chain, while generating over 30,000 direct employment opportunities.
The company produces packaging for brands such as Coca-Cola, Thums Up, Sprite, Fanta, Limca and RimZim in the carbonated segment; Maaza and Minute Maid in fruit-based beverages; and Kinley, Nimbu Masala and Limca Gluco Charge in hydration and water categories. These products are offered in multiple formats, including PET bottles, cans, aseptic packs, RGB, ASSP, BIB and hot-fill packaging, ensuring a wide market reach across urban and rural India.
SLMG Beverages follows a diversified packaging mix aligned with market demand and sustainability priorities. “PET bottles account for the bulk of production due to their versatility and scale, while cans are gaining traction in urban markets and modern trade channels. Glass is primarily used in returnable formats. Its portfolio spans carbonated soft drinks, fruit-based beverages, hydration products, and packaged drinking water, catering to diverse consumer preferences and consumption occasions,” Ladhani said.
SLMG Beverages operates nine bottling plants strategically located across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, ensuring proximity to markets and efficient supply during peak demand seasons. Facilities in Uttar Pradesh include Barabanki (Safedabad and Kursi Road), Ayodhya, Bareilly, Unnao, Mathura (Chhata), and Amethi (Trishundi), while the Bihar operations are based in Patna and Buxar.
Its key strength lies in its scale, regional leadership, and long-standing partnership with The Coca-Cola Company. As the largest independent Coca-Cola bottler in India, SLMG serves over 235 million consumers across northern India, with a particularly strong presence in Uttar Pradesh, where it commands over 50% market share.
The company runs some of the largest Coca-Cola bottling operations in Southwest Asia, equipped with multiple high-speed production lines capable of manufacturing sparkling beverages, juices, water, cans, affordable small sparkling packages (ASSP) and hot-fill products. Advanced technologies such as TriBlock PET bottling systems, Plasmax coating for enhanced shelf life, and highly automated German and Chinese machinery ensure precision, speed, and quality.
According to the company, it is a technology leader, being the first Coca-Cola franchise bottler in India to implement a manufacturing execution system (MES), enabling end-to-end traceability and operational control. AI-based sustainability solutions, blockchain-enabled plastic waste tracking, and advanced EHS monitoring systems further strengthen its smart-factory capabilities.
Its manufacturing and distribution infrastructure, backed by bottling plants and a distributor-led network, enables efficiency and consistent product quality. Sustainability and innovation differentiate the company, with initiatives such as the introduction of 100% recycled PET bottles and investments in PET recycling. Consistent double-digit growth and aggressive capacity expansion underscore SLMG’s ability to scale rapidly while remaining future-ready.
Ladhani says, “The beverage packaging industry in India is highly competitive and dynamic, shaped by global beverage majors, large domestic bottlers, and a growing number of regional and local players. Competition exists not only at the brand level but also across packaging formats, with PET bottles continuing to dominate due to cost efficiency and consumer preference, while aluminium cans and sustainable alternatives are witnessing rising demand.”
“Regulatory pressures around sustainability, recycling, and extended producer responsibility (EPR) have further intensified competition, pushing companies to innovate in packaging materials and reverse-logistics systems. Within the Coca-Cola bottling ecosystem, scale, efficiency, and execution capabilities are key differentiators, as both franchise bottlers and company-owned entities continue to expand. In parallel, local and regional beverage producers add price-led competition, particularly in rural and semi-urban markets,” he concludes.
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Naresh Khanna – 10 February 2025
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