NT Reporter | Panaji
Giving a boost to the government’s efforts to attract investors, Nestle India director (corporate affairs) Kunwar Himmat Singh said Goa offers a high level of ease of doing business to industries.
“Goa is a very special place and in fact the only state in India where the company has two factories — in Usgao, Ponda, and Bicholim,” he said during a factory visit organised by the company.
Singh, who recently took charge as director, said Nestle is steadily increasing its investment in its Goa production facilities, reaffirming its confidence in the state government and the Goan community.
Speaking about operations in the state, he said the Ponda factory, established in 1995, is now the hub for products like KitKat, Munch, Milkybar and Bar One.
“In fact, the factory is celebrated as the place of genesis for Munch,” he said.
Nestle set up its second plant in Bicholim in 1997 for manufacturing Maggi noodles.
He said the company remains focused on innovation, with nearly seven per cent of turnover coming from new product launches, and added that Goa will continue contributing to future innovations.
Nestle is the second-largest player in India’s chocolate market and holds the highest share in wafer chocolates such as KitKat. In noodles, the company has a 60 per cent
market share.
Singh said the company is committed to the highest standards of quality and safety, noting ambitious sustainability goals.
“Some of our targets are absolutely uncompromising — for instance, becoming a net-zero company by 2030. Goa is part and parcel of the net-zero targets. Our Goa operations are sustainable by way of water management, and we are automating operations as much as possible.”
Nestle India has also collaborated with the Goa College of Home Science, Campal, for Project Nestle Healthy Kids, which benefits more than 36,000 students. The company provides clean drinking water in 109 schools and runs sanitation programmes in 151 schools across the state.
