(Lotte Wellfood)

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Lotte Wellfood Co. completed a new production line for its signature chocolate snack Pepero at Lotte India Corp.’s Haryana plant while also beginning local manufacturing and sales, the company said on Wednesday.

The facility, built with a 33 billion won ($24 million) investment that wad announced in January 2024, is Pepero’s first overseas production base.

With the launch, Lotte Wellfood is introducing Pepero to India for the first time and tapping a confectionery market worth an estimated 17 trillion won and a population of 1.4 billion. The company will start with two varieties, Pepero Original and Pepero Crunchy, to target the strong local demand for chocolate.

Sales will begin in the Delhi region and expand nationwide via major retail and online channels.

To adapt to India’s hot and humid climate, the product was designed to prevent the chocolate coating from melting even at 40 degrees celsius. Lotte also secured optimized flour and suppliers to ensure a crisp texture for the biscuit sticks.

Marketing efforts will focus on Generation Z consumers, with a campaign featuring Korean pop group Stray Kids as global ambassadors set to launch in September 2025.

Lotte Wellfood plans to roll out additional flavors tailored to local preferences and expand exports to the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

The company also recently completed a merger between Lotte India and local ice cream maker Havmor, strengthening its “One India” strategy. It aims to reach 1 trillion won in annual sales in India by 2032 by increasing operational efficiency and synergy.