IT is not just about dealing with computers and limited to closed premises but is also all about the practical implications of the theoretical concepts. In lieu of this, students are required to have Industrial Visits besides their classes in order to have a thorough understanding of the Industrial Modus – operandi. With this objective in mind, a One – day Industrial Visit was Organized by PCPS on 7th May to Bottlers Nepal, Balaju to visit the Coca Cola Nepal production zone. Bottlers Nepal Limited (BNL) is the only bottler of Coca-Cola products in Nepal and has two bottling plants; namely Kathmandu (Bottlers Nepal Limited – BNL) and Bharatpur (Bottlers Nepal (Terai) Limited,) which is 160 km from Kathmandu. The import of Coca-Cola from India to Nepal first began in 1973 and six years later in 1979, the local production of the drink in the country itself was started. Promoted by the Khetan Group, one of the leading business organizations in Nepal, Bottlers Nepal also handles the bottling and marketing of other products such as Sprite and Fanta.

The visit was planned for the students of Level 5 BBA and BSc, accompanied by the Faculty-coordinators (Ms. Sadikshya Rimal, Program Co-ordinator, and Mr. Ajay Kumar Sharma, Campus Dean). The bus left the Campus by 9:15 am with a total of 25 students. The group reached the plant by 11:00 am. After giving a briefing of the rules and guidelines to be followed, the students were taken to the actual production and packaging plant. There, students were shown the overall process of recycling the used bottles and how they were cleaned and reused to sell the drink.

After the visit, the students and the BNL staffs had a brief discussion session where the staffs and the department head addressed the various questions and queries of the students. Students were explained how the company operates and plans its operations according to the dynamics of the market. They also got to clarify their curiosity on the matters regarding the issues of recycling and pollution. The staffs clearly explained how they are recycling the cleaning water and the waste management complying as per the environmental standards of the law.

The visit was finally concluded around 12:30 pm and the group was offered with refreshing cold drinks by the company. The students left the plant around 01:00 pm. The industrial visit to Coca-Cola was an enriching experience for students in getting live exposure to manufacturing and production and how the businesses operate at such a large scale in the real world, which can help them in their internships and further career enhancement.