Mars Petcare signs pact with TS govt for factory expansion

Hyderabad: Mars Petcare India, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Telangana government on Thursday for expansion of its Hyderabad petfood factory. Mars Petcare will invest Rs 500 crore in India to keep up with the rising demand for manufactured pet food and to fuel Asia-wide exports. In a one-on-one meeting, KT Rama Rao, Teleangana Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development, assured that the project will be considered for tailor-made incentives under Mega Project category.

KTR said: "The Government of Telangana believes in providing ease of doing business in the State. We have been very proactive with providing approvals and facilitating investment through any support needed by industries. Mars Petcare has had a decade long presence in Telangana with successful factory operations, and now we will support their brownfield expansion in the State. We are confident that their investments have and will generate jobs and catalyse progress in the region. The company wants to have a raw material sourcing agreements with the State for their expansion and are looking at a partnership. The brownfield investment will expand the plant's capacity by adding a second dry extruder line.

It will also facilitate the expansion of the packing line capacity, upgrade the utility system and the white space to support growth along with required extensions in utilities. This will augment capacity by almost 65 KT to satisfy the demand not only in India but across Asia for dry pet food.

This investment will be a significant contributor to the growth of the local community, creating more employment and upskilling local manpower. The company will hire 180 to 200 people in different roles, providing them with thorough onboarding and training. The company will also continue to contribute towards the welfare of villages in Siddipet district.

Ganesh Ramani, Managing Director of the company, said: "We started our first manufacturing plant in Hyderabad in 2008. Our continuing efforts to educate pet parents and consumers about manufactured pet food have resulted in industry growth of 16 per cent in 2019 and more than 20 per cent in 2020. Mars Petcare retained a strong lead in the pet food market in both years. In 2021, we gained market share and outpaced the category growth that is expected to be 35 per cent to 40 per cent. The expansion will help us keep up with India's increasing demand and create multiple jobs for the local population. We thank the government of Telangana and KT Rama Rao for their constant support over the years."