Patanjali Ayurveda Sets Up North India’s Biggest Food Park In Noida

A few months back, news was that Patanjali Ayurveda was looking to invest a massive amount of INR 1,600 crore in a food park based in Noida. And while the project was yet to be finalized in September, the processing unit is all set to being built now. Spread over a massive area of 455 acres provided by the ruling Samajvadi Party, the Food and Herbal Park will be situated in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar under the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA).

Things Are Looking UP

The foundation stone was laid down by UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Baba Ramdev in Lucknow on Wednesday. According to yoga guru and founder of Patanjali Ayurveda, Baba Ramdev, the food manufacturing set up will process 400 tonne of fruits and vegetables per day, in addition to 750 tonne of organic wheat to produce Patanjali flour.

Ramdev also added that Patanjali was working towards countering the stronghold of multinational brands over the FMCG sector in the country while producing goods that not only used local produce, but also strengthened the country’s economy and created jobs.

Image: India Retailing

All Praises, No Favours

The yoga guru has been nothing short of appreciative of CM Akhilesh Yadav, complimenting his upbringing for being a “sanskari” (well cultured) politician. “Politics often sees people use bad language. But Akhilesh ji always remains dignified in how he conducts himself; something that shows his cultured upbringing,” Ramdev said. Aww.

That said, Ramdev’s right hand Acharya Balkrishna chimed in saying that the Patanjali project had received no additional favours from the UP government in comparison to other industrial units. He also said that various other food parks in Indian were failing to create a mark because they remained focused on using up government subsidies rather than expanding business.

Balkrishna said Patanjali had big plans for UP; spreading its network into Bundelkhand and Purvanchal. “Patanjali is already sourcing all our amla from Pratapgarh. We also run a jaggery factory in Purvanchal, while Bijnor will be the hub of cattle fodder and animal feed production,” he added.

Image: Uttam UP

Beyond Manufacturing

Chief Secretary of UP, Rahul Bhatnagar said that while 430 acres of land will be used for setting up the manufacturing unit, the remaining 25 acres will be used for institutional use. “An investment of INR 1,667 crore will be made in this facility,” he said, adding that the state government has also offered Baba Ramdev a 25 per cent reduction in land rates along with a number of other concessions. “There is a comprehensive plan for the development of health, education, agriculture and industry. We expect direct and indirect employment generation of over 90,000 people through this project,” Bhatnagar said.

The Noida-based food park will add on to the list of existing Patanjali Food and Herbal Parks in Mihan (Maharshtra) and Nepal; with plans of expanding in Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, Maharshtra, and Madhya Pradesh. Also, this would be Gautam Buddh Nagar’s second major food park after Haldiram’s INR 55 crore food processing unit. 

Source: The Times Of India

Feature Image: Business Insider