Telangana, pet food capital too?

HYDERABAD: Thanks to the rising adoption of furry friends during the pandemic, MARS Petcare India, the country’s leading pet food company with a manufacturing unit two hours away from Hyderabad in Siddipet, will shortly be the largest exporter of dry pet food in Asia.

The manufacturing plant, which scaled up with an investment of Rs 500 crore last December to produce almost 65 kilotonnes of pet food, is also striving towards sustainability by using up-cycled waste and reducing carbon footprints. CE gets in touch with Pankaj Sharma, site operations director for Mars Petcare, to know more about its expansion.  

“We began the first pet-food manufacturing plant in Hyderabad in 2008. The incentive approval last December from KT Rama Rao, Minister of Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Telangana, is helping us keep up with the country’s increasing demand and create multiple jobs for the local population. Besides, it will help us meet pet-food demand across Asia,” says Pankaj Sharma.

The expanded unit will contribute to the growth of the local community, creating more employment and upskilling. The company has already hired around 200 people in different roles, providing them with thorough onboarding and training. “The unit — fully functional in 2023 — will offer over 150 full-time jobs that will help increase the economy of state. In addition, we will help grow local businesses from where raw materials will be sourced,” Pankaj adds.

This apart, Mars Petcare will comply on 100 per cent recyclable plastic by 2025. The company is implementing a data-driven approach to reduce its environmental footprint and fight climate change, deforestation, water stress, and unsustainable use of packaging. Pankaj adds, “It will no longer be just about one or two varities of pet-foods. Soon a lot of innovations will be introduced across our brands, Pedigree, Whiskas including Royal Canin.”