Coca-Cola India Bottler HCCB to Lay Off Around 300 Employees Amid Profit Pressures.
Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), Coca-Cola India’s bottling arm, is set to cut around 300 jobs as part of efforts to improve profitability and streamline operations under new leadership, sources familiar with the matter said. The decision, affecting roughly 4–6% of HCCB’s 5,000-strong workforce, was communicated internally over the past two weeks.
HCCB operates 15 manufacturing facilities across India, bottling and distributing brands including Coca-Cola, Thums Up, Sprite, Minute Maid, and Kinley water. The downsizing will impact roles across sales, supply chain, distribution, and bottling operations.
“Staying in sync with evolving business needs requires us to re-evaluate capabilities, structures, and take corrective actions where necessary,” a company spokesperson told the Economic Times. Describing the move as “minor in scale and non-disruptive to operations,” the spokesperson added, “We periodically assess business operations to stay competitive, efficient, and agile.”
HCCB remains the largest beverage company in India, holding a leadership position in the soft drinks segment.
Profit Decline Triggers Restructuring
HCCB reported a 73% decline in net profit to Rs 756.64 crore in FY25, while revenue from operations fell 9% to Rs 12,751.29 crore, according to regulatory filings sourced from Tofler. The company attributed the decline partly to a high base in FY24, when it sold bottling operations in Rajasthan, Bihar, the northeast, and parts of West Bengal to franchise partners including Moon Beverages, Kandhari Global Beverages, and SLMG Beverages. Coca-Cola continues to supply concentrate to these bottlers, who manufacture and distribute the beverages.
Demand was also subdued due to unseasonal heavy rainfall during peak summer months (March–September), affecting sales during India’s largest soft drinks quarter, April–June.
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