Direct-selling Fast and Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) firm Amway's first manufacturing facility in the country formally went on steam with its inauguration by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Monday. The unit has been set up with an investment of Rs 550 crore.

Amway India, the subsidiary of the US-based Amway Corporation, has set up the factory at State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu's (SIPCOT) Industrial Park in Nilakottai, Dindigul district, on 50 acres of land. With an investment of Rs 550 crore, the facility will create 500 direct and 1,000 indirect jobs, an official release said.

The company had signed a similar Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government in November 2012 to set up a manufacturing facility at Rs 350 crore, but it scaled up the investment to Rs 550 crore, considering an "industry-friendly climate", and signed the pact with the state government during the Global Investors Meet in September.

"Through a video-conference facility from Secretariat, Jayalalithaa formally inaugurated the factory. With the setting up of the factory, 5.50 lakh independent Amway business owners stand to benefit," the release said.

"Amway plant is most impressive. I wish you great success," Jayalalithaa said after the inauguration.

"It is a privilege for us that the Chief Minister inaugurated our plant today. We take pride that we have completed this plant in 26 months. It speaks volumes of industry-friendly climate in Tamil Nadu," Amway India CEO Anshu Budhraja said.

"We have invested Rs 550 crore and 500 employees directly and 1,000 people indirectly. We have units in the United States and China."

The company has also taken up corporate social responsibility activity in the region by adopting 10 villages for rain water harvesting and planned to adopt 10 more. It also has plans to set up high-tech research and development centre.

It sells more than 140 daily use products across categories like nutrition, beauty, personal care and home care. It has offices in 142 locations.

"The manufacturing facility can handle a turnover of Rs 6,500 crore to meet the needs of the Indian consumer. A state-of-the-art research and development laboratory is being explored for the facility, raising the site's importance," the statement said.

The factory, to be the third plant outside the US for Amway, also has the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for environmental and design efficiency.

"The manufacturing plant in Tamil Nadu is another example of Amway's belief in the Indian market and reiterates our commitment to Make in India, Make for India," Amway Corporation president Dough DeVos said.

"We believe that the facility is among the very best in the nation. The state-of-the-art operations will further strengthen our efforts to develop India-specific products, which should support greater growth and meet the increasing demand of consumers."

All the products sold by Amway India will be 'Made in India' from now onwards. The company is looking to expand the product base and has a pipeline of more than 10 new products in 2016.

Its "high-quality cookware" to be launched in days to come will be manufactured from the Tamil Nadu facility, the statement said.