Abbott's Nutrition Products to be 'Made in India' at its New Greenfield Manufacturing Plant in Jhagadia, Gujarat

Abbott's Nutrition Products to be 'Made in India' at its New Greenfield Manufacturing Plant in Jhagadia, Gujarat

 

  • Investment of Rs. 450 crores furthers Abbott's commitment to India, creates 400 jobs
  • Abbott plans to locally source up to 80 percent of ingredients for new plant in India; developing program to provide infrastructure and training to dairy farmers   

 

NEW DELHI, Oct. 15, 2014 -- Abbott, one of India's largest health care companies, today announced the opening of its new greenfield nutrition manufacturing plant in Jhagadia, Gujarat. With an investment of Rs.450 crores (US $75 million), the state-of-the-art nutrition manufacturing facility employs more than 400 people. This new greenfield plant is Abbott's third manufacturing site in India, with two others in Baddi and Goa.

Abbott's nutrition manufacturing plant will be formally inaugurated by the Honorable Chief Minister of Gujarat, Smt. Anandiben Patel, on October 16, 2014. 

As one of Abbott's most technologically advanced nutrition plants in the world, the Jhagadia plant will manufacture high-quality nutritional products for India including Similac® for infants; PediaSure®, one of the leading toddler nutrition brands in India; Ensure® adult nutrition products; Mama's Best®, for expectant and breastfeeding moms; Glucerna®, nutrition for people with diabetes.

"Abbott has served families in India for more than a century and is committed to helping people experience all that life has to offer through good health," said John Landgraf, executive vice president, Global Nutrition, Abbott. "We believe that our ongoing commitment represents an investment in a healthier India by providing high-quality nutritional products that will meet the health needs of local consumers."

Making Products for Indian Consumers

In 2012, Abbott opened a nutrition R&D center in Bengaluru to accelerate the development and delivery of local science-based nutrition products for India. The new nutrition manufacturing plant and Abbott's nutrition R&D center will work together in an effort to deliver innovations that address unmet health needs while offering new flavors and formats that meet specific Indian tastes and preferences. One of the first products developed in India and manufactured at Jhagadia is PediaSure® Kesar Badam, a saffron almond flavor. 

"Abbott is committed to not only providing nutrition, but also to helping create stronger, healthier communities in India," said Amal Kelshikar, country head and general manager, Abbott Nutrition, India. "We are expanding our presence in India by contributing to the local economy, providing more than 400 employment opportunities and investing in our local talent with extensive training and skill development."

Jhagadia Plant Designed for Quality, Environmental Sustainability

Abbott's new facility utilizes state-of-the-art technology for its advanced manufacturing operations, which follow high standards of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices). Spread over an area of more than 39 acres (over 159,850 square meters), the Jhagadia plant uses a completely sealed production procedure with 'Zero Touch' and 'Zero Exposure' that ensures products are untouched by human hands until the final packaging stage and are not exposed to outside elements during manufacturing. 

In addition, Abbott has designed the plant to help safeguard the environment by minimizing CO2 emissions, water use and waste. One example: the Jhagadia plant is the first nutrition facility in Gujarat to harness new environmentally friendly 'Karnal' technology to reuse water from the plant to nourish a new 10 acre forest of 6,800 eucalyptus and casuarina trees planted on-site. This innovative approach minimizes water waste, while creating a green area that adds to the local ecosystem.

Commitment to Sourcing Locally

Abbott is committed to the education and development of local suppliers, and plans to co-develop and source up to 80 percent of ingredients from local suppliers for its nutrition products sold in India. Abbott also is developing a program to provide infrastructure and training to dairy farmers in rural areas of India. The goal of the program is to provide 1,500 small-holder dairy farmers with the support and infrastructure they need to help them increase their incomes, while expanding the supply of high-quality milk needed for our new plant. Through this program, Abbott plans to provide targeted technical and business training in an effort to help farmers grow their business and strengthen the local dairy industry, while also strengthening Abbott's supply chain. 

About Abbott

Abbott is a global healthcare company devoted to improving life through the development of products and technologies that span the breadth of healthcare. With a portfolio of leading, science-based offerings in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic pharmaceuticals, Abbott serves people in more than 150 countries and employs approximately 69,000 people.

In India, Abbott has more than 14,000 employees working in manufacturing, research and development, logistics, sales and marketing and is headquartered in Mumbai.

 

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