Diageo India, a corporation that produces alcoholic beverages, has announced a 45-crore investment for a craft and innovation hub in Ponda, Goa. It claimed that this was in keeping with its ambition to improve its premium and craft beverages portfolio while accelerating transformational innovation.
The four-acre Hub provides end-to-end capabilities for various needs, including distillation capabilities for malt, gin, and rum, maturation infrastructure, blending capability, an automated bottling and packaging line for craft spirits, and a contemporary warehouse for raw materials and finished goods. Additionally, it will house a unique consumer experience centre.
The Hub will employ 250 locals when fully operating, with a capacity of 20,000 cases per month.
“Goa is a hub for craft, whose demand is rising quickly among customers eager to learn more about and appreciate excellent spirits both domestically and internationally. Our centre will act as an incubator for a limited group of startups, giving them access to cutting-edge infrastructure to develop their products. According to Hina Nagarajan, MD & CEO of Diageo India, “We are delighted about the cutting-edge possibilities this facility could bring—not just for us, but for the entire ecosystem as well.
According to the business, the investment shows Diageo India’s commitment to long-term research with a focus on advancing grain-to-glass sustainability, fostering the artisan spirits industry in India, and ongoing commitment.
Additionally, Diageo India announced the beginning of a programme for employability-related skills training in collaboration with the Goa government’s Skill Development Mission. Over three years, this initiative will train 1,000 local kids for jobs and self-employment roles in the hospitality, tourism, and related industries.
The business has acquired a strategic minority position in Nao Spirits & Beverages Private Limited, the Goa-based startup craft gin manufacturer and producer of Hapusa and Greater Than.