Thimpu, Feb 06: Coca-Cola India today announced its foray into Bhutan with the inauguration of bottling plants for carbonated soft drinks and pet bottles here in association with the Tashi group. The franchisee-owned plant has been set up by Bhutan Beverages Company Limited, a part of the country's largest industrial house - the Rs 400 crore Tashi group - with an investment of over Rs 38 crore. While Coca-Cola India holds no equity in the venture, it will invest in providing sales and distribution support to the plant besides giving its technical knowhow. "With the inauguration of this plant, Coca-Cola has entered yet another country. Besides making our brand available locally, this plant will also help Bhutan to boost its exports since almost 90 per cent of the production here will be exported to the north-eastern market in India," Coco-Cola India president Alex Von Behr told reporters here. He said with the inauguration of this plant, Coke India has 26 company-owned bottling plants and 19 franchisee-owned ones across India, Bhutan and Maldives. Speaking on the ocassion, Bhutan Beverages company's managing director Tschenchok Thinlay said the softdrinks market in Bhutan is about three lakh cases and till now coke products were being largely imported from India.

While the plant has already begun bottling carbonated soft drinks, it will begin bottling Kinley water over the next two to three months.

Bureau Report