Sri Lankan cricket legend Muttiah Muralitharan is set to expand his soft drink business in Karnataka, with a significant investment of Rs 1,400 crore. He will establish a manufacturing unit in the Chamarajanagar district, with additional plans for investment in Dharwad, said Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Industries, MB Patil.

Muralitharan, who runs a successful soft drinks business in Sri Lanka, is extending his enterprise with a new greenfield unit under the brand ‘Muttiah Beverages and Confectioneries’ in Chamarajanagar. This unit is expected to be operational by January 2025, with 46 acres already allocated for the project. Initially planned with an investment of Rs 230 crore, the investment has now been revised to a substantial Rs 1,000 crore, with an increase to Rs 1,400 crore planned over the next few years.

In a social media post, Patil said, “Legendary Cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan expands business to our state. Sri Lanka's cricket icon Muttiah Muralitharan, now an entrepreneur post-retirement, has established a soft drink manufacturing plant in his homeland and has now selected our state for expansion.”

During a meeting with Patil, Muralitharan also said he won’t back out from the commitment to establishing a unit for beverage cans in Dharwad. Principal Secretary (Industries) S Selvakumar, Industries Commissioner Gunjan Krishna, and other officials were also present at the meeting.