Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), the bottling arm of Coca-Cola in India, has begun cutting nearly 300 jobs as part of a broader restructuring exercise aimed at improving margins and simplifying operations, according to a report by The Economic Times.
The job cuts impact around 4–6 per cent of HCCB’s total workforce and span multiple functions, including sales, supply chain, distribution and plant-level operations. HCCB employs close to 5,000 people and operates 15 manufacturing facilities across the country, bottling and distributing popular brands such as Coca-Cola, Thums Up, Sprite, Minute Maid and Kinley.
The company described the layoffs as “small in scale” and said the move would not disrupt day-to-day operations. It added that such periodic organisational reviews are necessary to remain competitive, efficient and agile in a rapidly evolving market environment.
Leadership Change Triggered Review
The restructuring follows a leadership transition earlier this year. In July, HCCB appointed Hemant Rupani, formerly with Mondelez International, as its new chief executive officer. He succeeded Juan Pablo Rodriguez and subsequently reviewed the company’s business and operating structure.
HCCB’s financial performance weakened in FY25, with net profit declining 73 per cent to ₹756.64 crore. Revenue from operations also fell 9 per cent year-on-year to ₹12,751.29 crore, as per regulatory filings accessed via business intelligence platform Tofler.
Exit From Select States
Over the past year, HCCB has exited bottling operations in Rajasthan, Bihar, the North Eastern states and parts of West Bengal. These regions were transferred to existing franchise partners, including Moon Beverages, Kandhari Global Beverages and SLMG Beverages.
Coca-Cola follows a franchise-led model in India, where it supplies beverage concentrates while bottlers handle manufacturing, bottling and distribution of finished products.
Investments Continue Despite Restructuring
Despite the workforce reduction, Coca-Cola’s bottling partners continue to bet big on India. Three major bottlers — SLMG Beverages, HCCB and Kandhari Group — have announced plans to invest ₹25,760 crore in food processing and beverage infrastructure across nine states.
These investments, backed by memoranda of understanding with the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, are expected to generate around 30,000 direct jobs and nearly 3 lakh indirect employment opportunities. SLMG Beverages alone plans to invest ₹8,000 crore.
India remains Coca-Cola’s fifth-largest market globally, and the company continues to expand its footprint through long-term partnerships and capacity additions, even as it navigates near-term operational and financial challenges.
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