Cadbury Dairy Milk bars
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

As the festive season approaches, sweets are everywhere. But at the Mondelez factory in Sri City, Tada, it is like a festival every day; a celebration of all things sweet, organised and automated.

Amit Jain, plant lead at Sri City, Mondelez India, takes on the role of a modern-day Willy Wonka, guiding us through the largest chocolate factory by capacity across the Asia Pacific, West Asia, and Africa regions. “This facility caters to 3/4th of the country’s Cadbury chocolate demand — every fourth Cadbury chocolate eaten in India is made here,” shares Venkat Venepally, vice president, Supply Chain, Mondelez India. Spanning 136 acres, the facility continues to expand, aiming to bring suppliers closer to the premises and reduce the overall carbon footprint of its chocolate bars.

After a thorough safety briefing and intense sanitation protocols, we don lab coats and hair nets. Lured by the aroma of cocoa, we walk toward the production area, that runs 24/7. Long conveyor belts speedily transport rows of chocolate bars, freshly moulded and heading towards the sorting and wrapping lines. This five-level facility starts by combining the crumb — a mix of cocoa, cocoa butter, and sugar — before transforming it into smooth molten chocolate in massive 100-tonne vats. Certified tasters with a finely tuned sense of taste and smell then ensure that the chocolate meets Mondelez’s stringent standards.

To create that signature “snap” sound when a chocolate bar is broken, the molten mixture is tempered in silos where it is exposed to varying temperatures. The chocolate is then deposited into moulds at a rate of 42 moulds per minute. Depending on the variety, different production lines are used. For example, regular Dairy Milk bars are filled in one go, while filled chocolates incorporate layers with nuts, fruits, or wafer balls, influencing the bar’s texture. “We produce the Cadbury Silk Desserts which was launched in August this year, using a special dispenser for the brownie and plum cake varieties, as they differ from our traditional offerings,” Venkat explains. He also reveals that the airy texture of Cadbury Silk Bubbly is achieved by injecting air into the chocolate, giving it its distinctive look.

While air is intentionally added to Bubbly, air bubbles are strictly avoided in other candy bars. The moulds pass through vertical and horizontal vibrations to eliminate bubbles, ensuring an even fill. The chocolate is then set through various cooling stages and inspected for imperfections. Even though the production process is zero-contact, Amit assures us that the team’s goal is to maintain such high standards of cleanliness that you could eat off the factory floor. After producing variants like Fruit and Nut, the entire line is halted and sanitised to prevent cross-contamination with allergens

In the packaging section, AI-powered forklifts transport used moulds and packed chocolate cartons to designated areas, pausing if someone crosses their path. These Oompa Loompa counterparts are specially designed machines that handle much of the heavy lifting. At the two sealing lines, wrappers move too fast to catch, sealing 500 and 1,000 bars per minute. “The laminate used in wrapping is 85% sustainable,” says Venkat, pointing out the factory’s efforts in environmental responsibility, with laminate production taking place in a neighbouring facility.

Although cocoa — the main ingredient — comes from Ivory Coast and Ghana, the company aims to promote local farming. “The recent rise in cocoa prices highlights the need for our own farmers to grow cocoa. Through our Cocoa Life programme, we’re encouraging farmers in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala to take up cocoa farming,” Venkat notes.

Once packed, the chocolates are moved to dark storage, an area with no human intervention. All treats produced at this facility are sold exclusively in India.

Even if one doesn’t crave chocolate before entering such a factory, it is certain that you will want to bite into one after walking out. Growing up in India, a Cadbury Dairy Milk bar is often considered synonymous with celebrations, big or small. So when we try the new brownie offering that comes with a soft fudgy filling, studded with roasted walnuts inside the facility, it hits different.

The writer was at the Mondelez Sri City facility on invitation