US-based food and beverage manufacturer Mondelēz International has opened its global technical centre in India, which will support products and technologies for its brands in chocolate and beverages worldwide.

Located in Thane, Maharashtra, the facility has been set up with an investment of $15m and is part of the company’s $65m investment in its technical centre network to boost growth and innovation.

Mondelēz International Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa president Maurizio Brusadelli said: “Our AMEA region hosts three global technical centres, the other two being in China and Singapore, demonstrating that our dynamic markets are at the heart of the company’s growth strategy. Our investment in the Thane technical centre further emphasises the importance of India to our global business.”

Spread across an area of 12,000m², Mondelēz’s Indian technical centre will feature a pilot plant, a packaging creative studio and laboratories for technical research and development.

The centre will be home to nearly 150 scientists, developers, engineers, analytical chemists and other specialists. They will collaborate on innovations with other Mondelēz centres worldwide. It is also a water neutral and zero-discharge facility, with a significant part of the energy coming from solar panels.

Mondelēz International Research, Development and Quality (RDQ) president Rob Hargrove said: “With these technical centres, we’re focusing our investment in research, equipment and capabilities driving innovation to accelerate our growth.

“Our RDQ hubs will improve speed, efficiency and effectiveness, while increased scale will enable us to address evolving consumer needs more quickly. We are delighted that one of our global technical centres is based in India, which has one of the best technical and scientific capabilities in the world.”