Crown Holdings breaks ground on US$21.8M beverage can plant in Unnao

INDIA – Crown Holdings has entered India’s packaging market with a ₹2,078.44 crore (US$218.5 million) aluminium beverage can facility in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, marking the company’s first manufacturing footprint in the country.

The Tampa-based packaging group’s Indian subsidiary, Crown Packaging India Private Limited, conducted a groundbreaking ceremony at the Integrated Manufacturing and Logistics Cluster in Unnao’s Sarai Katian industrial corridor. 

The plant will occupy approximately 40 acres and carry an initial installed capacity of 1.162 billion cans annually, scalable to 1.786 billion cans per year. 

First-year output is projected at around 670 million cans, eventually climbing toward 1.7 billion units by the ninth or tenth year of operation. 

Commercial production is expected to commence by July 2027, with the facility designed around two production lines.

Long-Term Contracts Underpin Investment Case

Crown’s expansion is supported by customer commitments, notably a partnership with United Breweries Limited, part of Heineken N.V.. The agreement will see the additional capacity serve brands including Kingfisher and Heineken. 

Mark Ketcheson, president of Crown’s Europe, Middle East and Africa division, described the investment as an important step in the company’s expansion into India, a market characterised by strong structural growth, evolving consumer trends and increasing demand for sustainable packaging. 

Vivek Gupta, managing director of United Breweries, noted that demand for cans in India continued to grow strongly, driven by evolving consumer preferences and increasing adoption of premium and convenient formats.

Sustainability and Market Dynamics Drive Expansion

The facility will incorporate advanced manufacturing technologies, operational efficiencies and leading sustainability standards. 

Aluminium beverage cans remain the most recycled and sustainable beverage packaging format globally, positioning Crown to capitalise on India’s accelerating demand across alcoholic and non-alcoholic segments. 

The project falls under Uttar Pradesh’s FDI Policy-2023, which offers incentives to Fortune Global 500 and Fortune India 500 companies. 

Industrial Development Minister Nand Gopal Gupta stated that the project demonstrated growing international confidence in the state’s industrial ecosystem, contributing to the government’s vision of a one-trillion-dollar economy.

Employment Generation and Regional Impact

The project is expected to create more than 200 direct positions and over 1,500 indirect employment opportunities. 

Additional jobs and business prospects will emerge in logistics, warehousing, transportation, maintenance and local vendor networks. Crown reported full-year 2025 sales of US$12.365 billion.

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