Latest Blogs
See More
Indian billionaire Ravi Jaipuria is accelerating his expansion across Africa with a new US$40 million manufacturing complex focused on juice, snacks and dairy products in Zimbabwe. The latest investment strengthens the growing international footprint of Varun Beverages, PepsiCo’s largest bottling partner in India and one of the biggest globally.
According to reports, the new facility includes a juice and dairy blend manufacturing plant along with a Cheetos production unit, marking another major step in Varun Beverages’ diversification beyond traditional carbonated beverages. The expansion comes shortly after Varun Beverages completed the US$125 million acquisition of South African beverage company Twizza through its subsidiary, The Beverage Company (BevCo), further strengthening its position in Africa’s competitive beverage market.
Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa welcomed the investment, stating that the additional US$20 million expansion by Varun Beverages would support industrial diversification, manufacturing growth and employment generation. Officials noted that the company’s Zimbabwe operations have expanded significantly over the past eight years and now operate six production lines with a manufacturing capacity of nearly 120 million bottles per month.
The facility reportedly directly employs around 2,000 people while supporting nearly 13,000 indirect jobs across logistics, farming, distribution and retail sectors. Analysts believe the inclusion of dairy blends and value-added beverage products reflects rising consumer demand for functional and nutrition-focused drinks across African markets.
Ravi Jaipuria, often referred to as India’s “Cola King,” has been steadily expanding his food, beverage and dairy interests globally through RJ Corp and Varun Beverages. The group already operates dairy and ice cream businesses under brands such as Cream Bell and has previously announced plans to expand deeper into value-added dairy categories including yoghurt, cheese and dairy beverages.
Varun Beverages has also been increasing investments in juice and value-added dairy production in India. In 2024, the company announced expansion of juice and dairy product manufacturing at its Gorakhpur facility in Uttar Pradesh as part of broader diversification plans. Industry experts believe the company is positioning itself aggressively in high-growth beverage and dairy nutrition segments across emerging markets. (Business Standard)
Source: Dairynews7x7 17 May, 2026 Read full story here
#RaviJaipuria #VarunBeverages #DairyIndustry #ValueAddedDairy #AfricaBusiness #BeverageIndustry #Dairynews7x7
