Brands
Ladhani group’s SLMG Beverages pops open Rs 11,000 crore fizzy investment plan for Coca-Cola
MUMBAI: SLMG Beverages – Coca-Cola’s largest Indian bottler – is brewing up a storm with ambitious expansion plans that would make even the most hardened business tycoons gasp for breath.
Ladhani Group, the fizz-fuelled empire behind SLMG Beverages, announced yesterday a whopping Rs 11,000 crore investment strategy over the next five years, with the lion’s share – Rs 8,000 crore – earmarked for expanding its bottling dominance across Uttar Pradesh and newly-conquered Bihar.
“We’re looking at doubling our revenue to Rs 20,000 crore,” said joint managing director Paritosh Ladhani, whose ambition seems as effervescent as the products his company bottles at a mind-boggling rate of 40 million per day.
Already among Coca-Cola’s top 15 global bottlers, SLMG has set its sights on cracking the elite top 10 by 2030. The company recently stormed into Bihar after snatching up territorial rights from Coca-Cola’s own bottling arm HCCBL, a move described by industry insiders as “gaining prime real estate in India’s beverage battleground.”
The Lucknow-based firm is currently constructing a Rs 1,200 crore plant in Bihar’s Buxar district, with another Rs 1,500 crore facility in the pipeline. Meanwhile, its existing plants near Lucknow, Amethi, Bareilly and Ayodhya will receive substantial upgrades.
Not content with dominating just one sector, the group plans to splash Rs 3,000 crore into its hospitality business, doubling its hotel room portfolio faster than you can say “ice and a slice.”
“Our per capita consumption is still quite low and we are aspiring to catch up,” noted Vivek Ladhani, executive director, in a masterclass of understatement – considering Indians currently drink roughly one-eighth the cola Americans consume annually.
The company’s aggressive expansion comes just as year ago-appointed CEO Costin Mandrea settles into his role. The European veteran brings 25 years of beverage industry expertise and a bold mission: “We are building the first Indian world-class bottler, a bottler that is made in India and able to sit at the same table with bottlers from Latin America, Europe and Asia.”
With its newly expanded territory now covering a staggering 360 million potential consumers across UP, Uttarakhand and Bihar, SLMG appears poised to ride India’s fizzy drinks boom, which is expected to bubble up at a refreshing 7.29 percent annually through 2028.
When asked about a potential IPO, Ladhani remained coy: “Definitely, we have a plan.” But for now, the company seems content to shake up the market through explosive growth rather than share offerings, backed by what executives described as “sufficient internal accruals” to fund their effervescent ambitions.
Brands
Jubilant FoodWorks faces Rs 47.5 crore GST demand, plans appeal
Tax authorities flag alleged misclassification of restaurant services
MUMBAI:Â Jubilant FoodWorks Limited has landed in a tax tussle after receiving a GST demand of Rs 47.5 crore from the office of the additional commissioner of CGST and central excise in Thane, Maharashtra.
The order, issued under the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, relates to an alleged incorrect classification of certain services under the category of restaurant services. According to the tax authorities, this classification resulted in a short payment of goods and services tax for the period between the financial years 2019-20 and 2021-22.
The demand includes Rs 47.5 crore in GST along with an equal amount as penalty, in addition to applicable interest. The order was received by the company on March 13, 2026.
In a regulatory filing to the BSE Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited, the company said it disagrees with the order and believes its arguments were not adequately considered.
The company is preparing to challenge the decision and plans to file an appeal. It added that once the redressal process is complete, the demand is likely to be dropped.
Despite the sizeable figure attached to the notice, the company said it does not expect any material impact on its financials, operations or other activities.
The disclosure was signed by Suman Hegde, EVP and chief financial officer, who confirmed that the company received the order at 19:06 IST on March 13 and has already initiated steps to contest it.
The development places the quick service restaurant major in the middle of a tax debate that could hinge on how certain restaurant-linked services are classified under GST rules. For now, the company appears ready to take the matter from the tax office to the appeals desk.
