Crown Holdings, Inc. has broken ground on its first beverage can manufacturing facility in India, located in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh.
The milestone marks the company's manufacturing entry into the Indian beverage packaging sector, following the initial project announcement in April 2026. The facility will incorporate two production lines engineered to deliver an annual output of approximately 2.2 billion aluminium beverage cans, with commercial operations scheduled to commence in the second half of 2027.
The groundbreaking ceremony brought together enterprise executives, local government officials, and commercial beverage partners to mark the start of construction on the site.
Production and Technical Specifications
The Unnao manufacturing plant is engineered to support expanding volume across both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage categories, supplying domestic and multinational beverage brand owners. Key operational metrics and facility parameters include:
🥫 Annual Production Capacity: Configured to manufacture approximately 2.2 billion aluminium cans annually.
⚙️ Line Architecture: Features two advanced, high-speed production lines.
🌱 Sustainable Packaging Standards: Incorporates resource-management systems and modern manufacturing technology aligned with circular economy packaging requirements.
📅 Operational Timeline: Site construction commenced in September 2026, with full commercial processing projected for the second half of 2027.
Djalma Novaes, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Crown Holdings, stated that the investment demonstrates the enterprise's confidence in the future of the Indian beverage market and the role of the aluminium beverage can as a sustainable packaging format. Novaes noted that the Unnao site will combine advanced manufacturing technology, operational discipline, and resource efficiency to support customer expansion while generating long-term regional economic value.
State Alignment and Land Allotment
Following the groundbreaking ceremony, Crown leadership met with the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Yogi Adityanath, to review investment progress and long-term industrial collaboration in the region.
During the meeting, the state government presented Crown with the official land allotment letter for the project, formalising the enterprise's industrial site tenure in Unnao.
The partnership with the Government of Uttar Pradesh provides Crown with an established industrial hub, positioning supply lines close to high-growth consumption corridors in northern India.
The Indian manufacturing expansion forms part of Crown Holdings' wider international capital allocation programme.
The enterprise confirmed that it maintains its guidance for full-year 2026 capital expenditures of approximately $550 million. The deployment of capital into the Unnao facility provides Crown with localised manufacturing density to serve beverage brand owners shifting toward aluminium packaging formats in emerging markets.
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