The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved Kandhari Global Beverages’ proposal to acquire Coca-Cola’s bottling operations in North Gujarat and the Union Territory of Diu for an estimated ₹2,000 crore. The acquisition is part of Coca-Cola’s global shift towards an asset-light model, which involves franchising regional operations to trusted local partners.
The acquired unit, currently operated by Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd (HCCBPL), includes facilities for preparing, packaging, and distributing Coca-Cola’s non-alcoholic beverages in the region. Kandhari Global Beverages, which already serves as an authorised bottler for Coca-Cola in Rajasthan, plans to invest significantly in expanding and modernizing the newly acquired business.
“This acquisition marks a strategic step in our growth journey, and we are committed to investing in supply chain, digitalisation, people, and sustainability,” said Varinder Pal Singh Kandhari, Managing Director, Kandhari Global Beverages.
Founded in 1967, the Kandhari family-owned business has been associated with Coca-Cola since its re-entry into India in 1993. With eight bottling facilities and a production capacity of 12,000 bottles per minute, the company also operates in parts of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh.
This deal follows Coca-Cola’s recent moves to divest bottling operations in key regions, including Rajasthan, Bihar, and parts of the Northeast, in a bid to streamline its India operations. In the previous financial year, Coca-Cola’s bottling arm HCCBPL recorded a revenue of ₹14,021.54 crore and a net profit of ₹2,808.31 crore.
The transaction leaves HCCBPL with 15 operational plants in India, continuing to produce flagship beverages such as Coca-Cola, Sprite, Thums Up, Fanta, Maaza, and Kinley. The deal is expected to further deepen Kandhari’s presence in India’s fast-evolving beverages market.