Brands
Nestlé India boosts Munch output with Rs 225 crore Gujarat expansion
Sanand factory set for a sweet surge as new line adds 8,300 tonnes annually
MUMBAI: Nestlé India is turning up the sweet factor with a major expansion at its Sanand factory in Gujarat. The FMCG giant has announced a new production line for its beloved chocolate brand Munch, with an investment of around Rs 225 crore.
The new line is expected to add approximately 8,300 tonnes per year to the facility’s capacity and is slated to go live within the financial year 2025-26. Nestlé India will fund the project through internal accruals, signalling strong financial health and confidence in the growing demand for its products.
This move forms part of Nestlé India’s broader capital expenditure plans across both greenfield and brownfield projects, aimed at boosting overall production capabilities. Munch is already made at multiple facilities across the country, but the Sanand expansion is set to ensure a sweeter supply for the nation.
The announcement comes on the back of a robust financial performance. For the December quarter, Nestlé India reported a 45 per cent rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 998 crore, up from Rs 688 crore a year earlier. Revenue from operations climbed 19 per cent to Rs 5,667 crore, while Ebitda margin reached 21.3 per cent of sales, reflecting improved efficiency.
With this capacity boost, Nestlé India is clearly betting on a chocolatey future, ensuring that fans of Munch will have plenty to crunch on in the years ahead.
Brands
MS Dhoni joins Cars24’s Crashfree India as Goodwill Ambassador
Cricketing legend lends his voice to the fight against road fatalities in India.
MUMBAI: MS Dhoni has traded his cricket whites for a new kind of captaincy, one that aims to save lives on India’s roads. The former India captain has been appointed Goodwill Ambassador for Crashfree India, Cars24’s national road safety initiative. The move brings one of the country’s most trusted and disciplined public figures to a cause that desperately needs both credibility and urgency.
India continues to record the highest number of traffic fatalities globally. In 2024 alone, 1,80,000 people lost their lives on Indian roads, one every three minutes. The country has roughly 1% of the world’s vehicles but accounts for 11 per cent of global road deaths. Shockingly, 66 per cent of those killed were between 18 and 34 years old, the most productive age group, and nearly 10,000 were school students. Seven in ten fatalities were linked to overspeeding.
Dhoni, known for his calm judgment under pressure, did not mince words when speaking about the issue. “A vehicle gives you freedom, but it also gives you responsibility,” he said. “On our roads, too many people still see safety as a rule to follow only when someone is watching. That mindset has cost us far too much.”
He added: “We already know what is going wrong. We know how many lives are being lost. What we need now is not more excuses. We need more responsibility, more discipline, and more respect for life.”
For Cars24, the association goes beyond a celebrity endorsement. Founder and CEO Vikram Chopra described Dhoni’s involvement as a game-changer: “His understanding of Indian roads is grounded in lived experience. He holds us to a higher standard and his involvement challenges us to push this mission further.”
Crashfree India aims to shift the national conversation on road safety from reaction to prevention, from accepting deaths as routine to treating them as the urgent failure they are. With Dhoni on board, the initiative gains a powerful, trusted voice that transcends statistics and connects directly with millions of Indians.
In a country where dangerous driving is too often mistaken for confidence, Dhoni’s message is refreshingly clear: true strength lies in control, discipline, and respect for life. When one of India’s most respected captains decides to lead this fight, the conversation suddenly becomes much harder to ignore.
The roads just got a new captain. And this time, the goal is not to win a trophy but to save lives.
