Mars Inc will invest $160 million to establish a production plant for its Snickers brand in Pune, Maharashtra. Announcing the move, the company said it is setting up local production to cater for growing demand in the Indian confectionery sector. Mars India general manager M.V. Natarajan stressed the magnitude of the opportunity. “Chocolate industry in India is growing at nearly 20% every year and we see this as a huge opportunity to expand our chocolate portfolio in the country in the coming years,” he said.
According to an article in Just Food, Mondelez is the largest chocolate manufacturer operating in India. According to Euromonitor, the company’s Cadbury brand generated 55% of category sales in 2014. Nestle, the second-largest player in the market, accounted for 17% the market, while Ferrero, racked up just 5% of category sales. According to its CEO, Irene Rosenfeld, Mondelez’s Indian business generated “double-digit” growth during 2014. Expansion at has been underpinned by product development. The company recently launched “Cadbury Glow”, a premium “gifting” chocolate brand in India. Rosenfeld noted: “Initial results have been strong, already reaching 13% of the Indian chocolate gifting segment last quarter.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
