Varun Beverages Limited. All of the goods that are marketed or sold in India under the PepsiCo name, such as Pepsi, Mountain Dew, or Limca, Slice, and Sting, are bottled by Varun Beverages Limited.
As much as people utilize this brand’s products—whether it’s Pepsi, Slice, Limca, Mountain Dew, or Sting—the majority of you are probably unaware of how these beverages are manufactured at the factory. Therefore, we are taking you inside the Begusarai, Barauni facility of Varun Beverages Limited today to offer you a closer look. Come on!
Water is the initial ingredient needed to manufacture any beverage. Water is retrieved via submersibles and kept in tanks at Varun Beverages. It can hold around 3,000 liters per day.
The Water Treatment Section is the first place we go. Water makes up over 90% of beverages and is the primary element in cold drinks. The water first undergoes a pre-treatment procedure. It then goes via reverse osmosis, or RO. After that, the RO-treated water is moved into the common header via GT tanks. Water is transported separately from the common header to the manufacturing line for processing.
The delicious scent of sugar greeted us as soon as we walked into the room. As you might imagine, the entire manufacturing space smells just like the delightful perfume that is produced when sugar dissolves in water at home.
This is the sugar that we use to make beverages. The sugar is taken here and placed in our processing area. The raw sugar is refined here—it is much better than regular market sugar, about 100 times higher quality.
After that, the sugar goes into the raw syrup tanks, each holding about 25 kL at a time. Water is added, but it is heated water, not raw water. The same water that we saw in the water treatment section is used here. Once all the sugar is dissolved, it is kept at 80°C for 30 minutes to allow proper mixing—this is what you know as the syrup. After that, the syrup is cooled down to around 25°C using our specialized system.
As mentioned earlier, this Varun Beverages factory produces Pepsi, Sting, Slice, Mountain Dew, and many other drinks. Each product uses a different level of sugar and concentrate, which is basically the solid mix of ingredients. Similar to making a drink at home, each beverage has both solids and liquids mixed together.
To put it simply, at home you mix syrup with water, and here it’s just the same on a larger scale. The process is advanced and highly automated, with minimal manual intervention.
The concentrate used in the drinks is a secret formula. Even we don’t know the full details; only a select team at the parent company knows it. There’s no single person in India or at the US headquarters who knows the complete formula. The company provides the exact ratio, like 1 part concentrate to 5 parts water for Pepsi or Mountain Dew, and 1:4 for Mirinda Orange. We follow these instructions blindly, without altering or experimenting.
Right now, the concentrate in the tank is for Limca, the non-carbonated lemon drink. The syrup is added, cooled to about 25°C, and then sent to the blending tank. Here it is mixed with the concentrate according to the specified ratios.
The blending process creates NCB, which stands for Non-Carbonated Beverage, prepared and ready for bottling.
Inside Bihar’s Varun Beverages Factory: How PepsiCo Drinks Are Made and Local Jobs Are Created
Begusarai, Bihar – In the heart of Begusarai, the massive Varun Beverages Limited factory is churning out some of India’s most popular soft drinks under the PepsiCo brand, including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Slice, Limca, Sting, and Tropicana. This state-of-the-art facility not only caters to India’s beverage demands but is also creating a significant impact on local employment.
Non-Carbonated and Carbonated Beverages
The factory produces both carbonated beverages and non-carbonated drinks (NCBs). Non-carbonated drinks like Limca, Slice, and Tropicana are made in specialized rooms, where each product has its own carefully measured sugar and concentrate levels. Raw sugar is first processed into high-quality refined sugar, mixed with heated water, and converted into syrup at controlled temperatures. The syrup is then cooled, blended with secret concentrates, and prepared for bottling.
Strict Formulas and Automation
The formulas for each beverage are highly confidential, known only to a few specialists in the parent company. Production is largely automated, with minimal human intervention, ensuring consistency in taste and quality. For instance, the ratio of concentrate to water is strictly followed, such as 1:5 for Pepsi and Mountain Dew, and 1:4 for Mirinda Orange.
Bottling at Lightning Speed
Once the syrup and carbonated water are ready, they move to the bottling line. Preforms (bottle containers) are heated, air is injected to shape them, and beverages are filled automatically. The factory can produce up to 800 bottles per minute, which are then packed into boxes and shrink-wrapped for distribution. The entire bottling and packaging process is fully automated, with advanced labeling machines applying labels at high speed.
Local Employment and Community Impact
The factory employs 850–900 people directly, with over 2,000 locals benefiting indirectly through logistics, contract work, and supply chain roles. Most of the workforce is from Bihar, including nearby villages, helping reduce migration for work. Employees such as Mehrraban, a local apprentice-turned-permanent worker, highlight the positive impact: “We are happy to work here close to home, with good facilities and opportunities for training and growth.”
Strategic Significance of Varun Beverages
Varun Beverages is PepsiCo’s largest bottler in India and a key player worldwide. It purchases concentrate from PepsiCo and handles the full conversion, production, and distribution, retaining the profits locally. The Begusarai factory, spread over 55 acres, was operationally launched in April 2022 and has won awards for its efficiency, including the Platinum Award from PepsiCo US and recognition from CII for water usage efficiency.
A Model for Industrial Growth in Bihar
The factory stands as an example of how large-scale manufacturing can create local employment, skill development, and economic growth. With advanced automation, strict quality control, and a mostly local workforce, the Begusarai plant demonstrates that world-class production and community development can go hand in hand.
From sugar processing to bottling over 40 lakh bottles daily, Varun Beverages in Bihar is not only keeping India refreshed but also providing livelihoods and growth opportunities for the people of the region.
