Actor Ashutosh Rana, legislators, administrators grace HCCB’s 25th anniversary celebrations in Bhubaneshwar
Bhubaneswar, June 22, 2022 – Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), one of India’s top FMCG companies, hosted its 25th anniversary celebration in Bhubaneswar. Dr Amar Patnaik, Member of Parliament – Rajya Sabha; Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, MLA – Khandapada; Jyotirindra Nath Mitra, MLA – Khordha, were some dignitaries that graced the evening. Chairman & CEO Neeraj Garg hosted the event on behalf of HCCB.
The evening saw actor, writer, poet, and thinker Ashutosh Rana as the special guest who used his trademark narration and flawless diction to reflect on HCCB’s 25 year journey. He took examples from the Ramayana and Mahabharat to contextualize the virtues of consumer trust, dedication, loyalty, and selfless service as tenets for a successful enterprise. He followed this with a profound rendition of the third chapter (Tritiya Sarg) of Rashmirathi, an epic creation by the late poet and freedom fighter Ramdhari Singh Dinkar. The third chapter is a tribute to Lord Krishna’s grand avatar following Duryodhana’s rejection of the Lord’s proposal to give at least 5 villages to the Pandavas.
The evening was an ode to the #Hindustaanium, the guiding light to HCCB’s success over the last 25 years. #Hindustaanium is in imaging the new that becomes the norm. It is in finding the familiar in the diverse. #Hindustaanium is in being able to work with nature. It is in making smiles broader. #Hindustaanium is in being able to bring on the next. It is in the drive to unlock opportunities. #Hindustaanium is in celebrating India – our inspiration!
Speaking about HCCB’s 25 year journey, Ashutosh Rana said, “For any entity to survive they need to be sincere and steadfast in their beliefs. An organisation like HCCB, couldn’t have achieved this scale without remaining true to these core principles. I congratulate HCCB on completing this 25 year journey.”
Mr Neeraj Garg, Chairman & CEO, HCCB, said “The last 25 years have been years of tremendous change in India – social, cultural, technology, economic growth, pandemic etc. Not only have we successfully navigated these changes, but also enabled an ecosystem that is today solid, sustainable, and self-reliant. In the course, we have also grown to become one of the leading FMCG companies in India. We wanted to celebrate our achievements with our partners and the dignitaries present here today, without whom this journey would not have been possible.”
HCCB created special, immersive experience zones at the event powered by digital technology. This included zones where visitors could take a tour of the HCCB factory at Khorda from the hotel itself using virtual reality. Other technological interfaces such as a digital book, LED walls and a touch screen showcased HCCB’s interventions in the areas of education, skill development, health and hygiene, water, plastic waste management, women empowerment, and renewable energy.
HCCB has announced a series of initiatives in Odisha to commemorate 25 years. While it will invest another Rs. 300 crores in expanding manufacturing capacity at its factory in Khorda Industrial Estate, it also plans to plant 1 lakh trees in the state. This is over and above the 13,000 fully grown-up trees at the Khorda factory. In addition, HCCB will enhance the intake of educated, unemployed youth to its Career Development Centre (CDC). The Centre imparts skills that enhance the employability of the youth.
HCCB’s factory in Khorda Industrial Estate currently has 5 manufacturing lines that produce juices and sparkling beverages. The company has already invested Rs. 500 crores in this facility. It has now bought an additional land parcel of 20 acres from IDCO to undertake expansion and further augment manufacturing capacity. HCCB will invest another Rs. 300 crores thereby taking the total investment to Rs. 800 crores. The factory employs 550 people directly and 1,000 people indirectly. This expansion will create another 200 jobs.