South Korean Orion Choco-Pie now being produced in India

Gurugram (Gurgaon): The mouthwatering Choco-Pie – a South Korean delicacy very popular amongst Indian children is now being produced locally in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, about 70kms from New Delhi.

South Korean confectionery products maker Orion on Tuesday announced an investment of INR 200 Cr in India for the setting up a 17,385-square-meter manufacturing facility for the producing ‘Choco-Pie’ in Rajasthan.

Earlier, the company was importing Choco-Pie from its Vietnam-based production facility. After having experienced more than 400% growth in the demand for its products in India, the company decided to produce its items locally in India, said a company statement.

Apart from Korean music and dramas – better known as K-Pop and K-Drama respectively, Korean confectionery products too are gaining widespread popularity in India giving rise to the K-Food concept here.

India is Orion’s 10th overseas production base, and the company also has manufacturing units in Korea, Vietnam, Russia, and other locations.

Saurabh Saith, CEO, Orion India said, “Given the annual confectionery market of around $15 billion for a 1.3 billion population, there is a huge scope for a player like us”.

“Our state-of-the-art India manufacturing facility is a step toward our expansion drive which will not only allow us to build a strong supply chain for the domestic market but will also help us tailor our products as per Indian consumers’ preferences,” he added.

Orion has partnered with confectionary specialist Mann Ventures for the production of Choco-Pie locally.

In the coming months, Orion plans to add more ‘made in India’ products to its offerings and will be introducing more global offerings to Indian consumers. The company has already onboarded 250 employees to drive the brand’s growth in India and is aiming at adding 1000 more to its India team in the next two years.