Varun Beverages to raise Rs 7,500 cr to fund expansion plans

The board of the company in a meeting held on Wednesday approved the proposal for “raising of funds by way of issuance of equity shares for an aggregate amount not exceeding Rs 7,500 crore” through QIP, according to a regulatory filing by the company.

The fund would be raised in “one or more tranches” and would be “subject to receipt of approval of equity shareholders of the company” through postal ballot, it added. The proceeds from this fundraising would be utilised in “making investments in subsidiaries, joint ventures or associates” or to “fund the growth of existing businesses including expanding product portfolio, entering into new territories and making strategic acquisitions”.

This will also help in “Pre-payment or repayment” of debts and in general corporate purposes,  Varun Beverages said in a regulatory filing. VBL accounts for 90% of PepsiCo’s beverage sales volume in India. VBL, which follows a January-December financial year, in 2023, reported net revenues at Rs 16,042.58 crore, up 21.8%.

In the June quarter, VBL reported a 28.3% revenue growth to Rs 7,196.86 crore and its profit was up 25.5% to Rs 1,261.83 crore. It has also gone for a share split of 1:5. VBL’s association with PepsiCo is over three decades old. It is increasing the number of licensed territories and sub-territories to expand its business.

Last December, VBL announced the acquisition of South Africa-based Beverage Company (Bevco) along with its wholly-owned subsidiaries at an enterprise value of Rs 1,320 crore, which will help it expand its geographical footprint in the African market. Bevco holds franchise rights from PepsiCo in South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini.

Currently, VBL’s operations span six countries across the Indian sub-continent and Africa, collectively serving over 1.4 billion customers. However, 79% of its revenue, a substantial part originates from its India business.