Moscow: In order to enhance its modest Russian juice market share, US snack and beverage giant PepsiCo is all set to get hold of 76 per cent of Russia’s leading juice maker, Lebedyansky for $2 billion.

PepsiCo is making concluding discussions over the acquisition that will be the biggest ever in the worldwide juice industry. The deal would have effect before the year end.

PepsiCo commands about a fifth of the Russian soft drinks marketplace and approximately a third of potato chip sales, but presently holds just 2 percent of the Russian juice market through the Tropicana brand name.

Pepsi’s major opponent, CocaCola holds more than a fifth of the Russian juice market after the $530 million acquirement of producer Multon in 2005.

Market analysts said the contract could have become more plausible after private equity group Lion Capital decided to acquire PepsiCo's previous target, Russia's No. 3 fruit juice maker, Nidan Soki.

“We have long seen Lebedyansky, with its leading market position in juice and its best-in-class distribution system, as an attractive takeover target for international food and beverage companies,” the sources said.

About 23 percent of Lebedyansky shares are freely floated, whereas 76 percent are operated by a group of Russian businessmen, comprising former director Nikolay Bortsov and his son Yuri, the firm's chairman.

PepsiCo commenced functioning in Russia in 1974, and hires about 20,000 people in the country.