Where the capacity is
Bangalore concentrates the most flexible HPP capacity — three partners, combined weekly capacity ~180,000 bottles. Mumbai is next with three partners and slightly higher combined capacity.
Delhi-NCR remains capacity-constrained for premium brands — only two partners, both running near full utilisation. Brands targeting Delhi distribution should expect 6 – 9 week wait for first run.
Cold-chain SLA depth
Five of eight partners offer written end-to-end cold-chain SLA. Three operate informal handover — fine until a break event, then expensive.
Brands should demand the SLA in writing and link payment to logger data. See REP_10 for the recommended contract model.
Pressure-cycle flexibility
Standard HPP operates at 600 MPa for 3 minutes. Some formulations benefit from extended cycles (4 – 6 min) or different pressure profiles.
Four of eight partners run programmable cycles; the others are fixed-cycle. Premium juice brands with delicate aromatic profiles should prioritise programmable partners.
Partner scoring criteria
We score on five axes: capacity headroom, cold-chain SLA depth, programmable cycle, in-house QC lab, export documentation readiness.
Top-tier partners score 4+ on all five; mid-tier 3 – 4; bottom-tier 1 – 2.
- ›Top tier: 3 partners (2 Bangalore, 1 Mumbai)
- ›Mid tier: 3 partners (1 Bangalore, 2 Mumbai)
- ›Bottom tier: 2 partners (Delhi)
- ›Combined weekly capacity top tier: 240,000 bottles
- ›Combined weekly capacity all tiers: 420,000 bottles
- ›Average minimum run: 10,000 bottles
Booking strategy
Book quarterly, not monthly. HPP partners price quarterly bookings 7 – 12% better and prioritise quarterly customers during capacity squeezes.
Festive Q4 capacity is locked by mid-July. Brands targeting Diwali or year-end-gifting should book by end-June.
§ KEY TAKEAWAYS
- 01Bangalore HPP is the deepest pool — book first
- 02Demand cold-chain SLA in writing, not as a courtesy
- 03Mumbai partners are best for export-bound HPP SKUs
- 04Programmable cycle matters for delicate aromatic profiles
- 05Book quarterly — 7 – 12% pricing advantage
- 06Festive Q4 capacity locks by mid-July
§ GLOSSARY
Technical jargon, acronyms and scientific terms used in this file — decoded.
- HPP
- High-Pressure Processing — cold pasteurisation at ~600 MPa that extends fresh-juice shelf life to 30–45 days chilled.
- Co-packer
- A manufacturer that fills and packs to your brand spec under contract, without owning the recipe.
- Cold-chain
- Continuous refrigerated handling from factory through distribution to retail shelf.
- HACCP
- Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points — food-safety system identifying and managing biological, chemical and physical hazards.
