New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS): Pernod Ricard India, a leader in the wine and spirits industry, on Friday signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Maharashtra to set up a malt spirits distillery in Nagpur's industrial suburb, Butibori, with an investment of up to 200 million euros in this decade.
The proposed distillery will be one of the biggest in India with a capacity of producing up to 60,000 litres of fresh malt spirit daily.
“The MoU furthers Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' vision,” the company said.
The signing of the MoU was presided over by Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and attended by the state's Industries Minister, Uday Samant; Excise Minister, Shambhuraj Desai; and Principal Secretary (Industries), Harshdeep Kamble.
Pernod Ricard India was represented by its CEO, Jean Touboul, national corporate affairs head Prasanna Mohile, and senior vice-president, integrated operations, Gagandeep Sethi.
With the commissioning of the distillery, Pernod Ricard India aims eventually to employ a workforce of up to 700-800.
"This commitment extends not only to the construction phase of the distillery, but also encompasses the post-commissioning operations of the plant," the company said.
"We believe that infrastructure growth is the first step towards amplifying advancement for any state and we are delighted that Pernod Ricard India shares our vision to invest in the economic and skill development of the region and the country," said Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis.
He said that the foundation of this distillery will assist in creating strong avenues for employment and aid in spurring growth of ancillary industries and services.
“Most importantly, this would serve as a platform of opportunities for thousands of farmers of the region to attain steady income and bring agricultural diversity and stability," he said.
Pernod Ricard India aims to eventually procure up to 50,000 tonnes of barley annually from farmers nationwide. In due course, the company aims to work jointly with the government to develop capabilities of barley cultivation in Maharashtra to boost farmers' income.
“We are confident that it will elevate India's standing on the global map as a key player in the production of high-quality malt," Pernod Ricard India CEO Jean Touboul said.
He also expressed hope that the establishment of this distillery will provide a boost to various allied sectors in and around Nagpur and across Maharashtra.
“The foundation of the plant will aim to provide local entrepreneurs and the farmer community with new avenues of growth. The malt spirit distillery will integrate sustainable practices and technologies across processes from inception,” he said.