Mondelez India & HUL introduce two new variants of frozen dessert
Mondelez India & HUL introduce two new variants of frozen dessert

Mondelez India has partnered with Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) to launch two new frozen dessert variants, namely Kwality Walls Gems Burst and Oreo and Cream.

This partnership will help Mondelez India in accelerating the growth momentum and focusing on agile innovations for staying ahead of the ever-changing consumer demands.

Anil Viswanathan, Director, Marketing, Chocolates, Mondelez India, said, “As the market leaders in chocolates and strong challengers in biscuits, we have the onus to constantly and consciously explore snacking adjacencies that extend consumer love beyond the product, and help us innovate with evolving consumer tastes. We are extremely delighted to partner with HUL to bring out two exciting new innovations of our much-loved brands, Cadbury Gems and Oreo.”

Sudhanshu Nagpal, Associate Director, Marketing, Biscuits, Mondelez India, stated, “Cornetto Oreo received immense consumer adulation last year, which demanded that we keep this special bond ignited and launch these two new innovations. We want to lead the future of snacking around the world by offering the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way. These initiatives will increase consumer relevance in a changing food landscape, helping us grow ahead and strengthen our position as a leading snacking giant.”

Himanshu Kanwar, General Manager, Ice Cream, HUL, added, “Kwality Walls and Mondelez India operate in complimentary product categories with some of the most iconic brands. The association unlocks massive opportunities for creating value for both businesses by bringing new, premium offerings to market. It also expands the consumer base for all the brands involved by cross-leveraging their individual strengths. When we launched Cornetto Oreo, it brought Oreo lovers to Cornetto, and equally provided the experience of Oreo to millions of Cornetto consumers across the country.”

 
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Mondelez introduces Dairy Milk variant with 30% less sugar
Mondelez introduces Dairy Milk variant with 30% less sugar
 

Chocolate maker Mondelez has launched a new variant of its popular Dairy Milk chocolate with 30% less sugar as it seeks to attract health-conscious Indian consumers.

The product will be introduced simultaneously in the UK and India, making it the chocolate maker’s first such effort at reducing sugar in its products in India.

Anil Viswanathan, Director, Marketing (Chocolates), Mondelez India, said, "We believe this could be category-defining. Our main challenge was to get the taste right."

"Staying true to the brand's 'Wahi Swaad, Wahi Mithaas' proposition, the team has been working to find a way to achieve the much-loved original Dairy Milk taste whilst delivering 30 per cent less sugar and no added artificial sweeteners, colours, preservatives or calories. It has been reformulated with ingredients such as fibre," he added.

The new chocolate will be priced at Rs 50 for 43 gms, while the regular Dairy Milk bar of a similar size is available for Rs 40.

Deepak Iyer, President of Mondelez India, stated, "It will be retailed across modern and traditional trade and e-commerce platforms by June 20. The launch will be supported by a high-impact digital-led campaign."

 

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Mondelez brings Bournvita Biscuits in Banana & Oats variant
Mondelez brings Bournvita Biscuits in Banana & Oats variant
 

Mondelez India has launched Bournvita Biscuits into new variants, Banana and Oats. Bournvita Biscuits’ Banana & Oats variant is available in two packs, while one is priced at Rs 10, the other is priced at Rs 25.

Sudhanshu Nagpal, Associate Director, Marketing (biscuits), Mondelez India, said, “The morning snacking occasion, has a huge opportunity for a product that brings together taste and nutrition which consumers want. And Bournvita Biscuits has successfully managed to tap into this consumer need, since its launch in 2016.”

“With the launch of Bournvita Biscuits, Banana and Oats, we are providing one more choice to our consumers by combining the goodness of banana and oats with a yummy, crunchy cookie from Bournvita – a brand Indian consumers have trusted for more than seven decades,” he added.

Nagpal further stated, “We are confident that the new Bournvita Biscuits - Banana and Oats will strengthen our presence as India’s subah ka biscuit.”

 

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Mondelez India launches Dairy Milk Lickables, Gems Surprise with Minion toys
Mondelez India launches Dairy Milk Lickables, Gems Surprise with Minion toys
 

Mondelez India, in association with the Minions from the Despicable Me franchise, has launched Cadbury Dairy Milk in Lickables and Cadbury Gems Surprise.

The new Cadbury Dairy Milk in Lickables comes with 55 exciting Minions toys. Cadbury Gems Surprise will also be benefitted from the Minion makeover.

Anil Viswanathan, Director, marketing, chocolates, Mondelez India, said, “We are witnessing a great demand for spoonable chocolates, a trend that is catching up swiftly under this segment, wherein the toy is an important category driver.”

“Recognising this scope and the consumers’ affinity towards the Minions characters, the association with the franchise is a fitting one. With this association, we endeavour to transcend the brand love of Cadbury Dairy Milk to our donor segments products like Cadbury Dairy Milk in Lickables and Cadbury Gems,” he added. 

Priced at Rs 40 each, the Minions range of Cadbury Dairy Milk in Lickables and Cadbury Gems Surprise are available in all traditional trade and modern trade retail outlets, as well as e-commerce sites. 

 

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Mondelez India launches new Cadbury Dairy Milk Spready
Mondelez India launches new Cadbury Dairy Milk Spready
 

Mondelez India has launched the new Cadbury Dairy Milk Spready, foraying into the fast-growing spreads category.

With this launch, India's much-loved Cadbury Dairy Milk comes into a delicious spread format and enters the kitchen consumption segment.

Anil Viswanathan, Director, Marketing (chocolates), Mondelez India, said, "Chocolate Spreads is a strategically important adjacent category witnessing fast retail value growth over the past few years. With our tremendous equity in chocolate, we believe this is an opportune time for Mondelez India to foray into this category."

"This format enables us to enter into our consumers’ homes, and their kitchens and be a part of their in-home consumption experiences. It is ideal for simple snacking occasions or can be used as an ingredient for baking by home chefs. We want to be the first taste of chocolate for consumers in every format. At a competitive price point, consumers can now enjoy the alluring taste of Cadbury Dairy Milk in a format that complements their meals, snacks and desserts," he added.

Cadbury Dairy Milk Spready is packed with milk proteins, calcium and the iconic Cadbury Dairy Milk taste. It is available at all modern trade outlets and e-tailers, including Amazon, Flipkart and Big Basket in 200g packs priced at Rs 200. 

 

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Mondelez India introduces limited edition Cadbury Dairy Milk Vintage Tin Pack
Mondelez India introduces limited edition Cadbury Dairy Milk Vintage Tin Pack
 

Mondelez India has launched the new limited edition Cadbury Dairy Milk Vintage Tin Pack. This edition includes Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolates packaged with covers from four distinct eras such as 1907, 1923, 1961 and 1999.

Anil Viswanathan, Director, Marketing (chocolates), Mondelez India, said, "We are thrilled to launch this beautiful Cadbury Dairy Milk Vintage Box. Consumers can take a trip down the memory lane with these retro pack designs and relive their favourite Cadbury Dairy Milk memories."

Abhishek Ahluwalia, Head, E-commerce, Mondelez India, stated, "These days, consumers are not just looking at products and services, but at experiences that can create long-lasting memories. We are excited to launch yet another exclusive e-commerce proposition."

"The vintage pack is a symbol of its seven decades of consumer love and adulation and the positive leaps it has taken to become India's favourite chocolate brand. We are committed to building on the legacy we've created in the last 70 years with the promise of bringing more moments of joy in the times to come," Ahluwalia added. 

The Cadbury Dairy Milk Limited Edition Vintage Tin Pack is priced at Rs 544. It contains four Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate bars and will be available on Cadburygifting.in, and exclusively on e-tailers such as Amazon, Flipkart and Paytm.

 

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मोंडेलेज़ इंडिया लाया फिंगर बार के रूप में कैडबरी डेरी मिल्क क्रिसपैलो
मोंडेलेज़ इंडिया लाया फिंगर बार के रूप में कैडबरी डेरी मिल्क क्रिसपैलो
 

70 साल तक कैडबरी डेरी मिल्क को भारत का सबसे पसंदीदा चॉकलेट ब्रांड बनाये रखने के बाद मोंडेलेज़ इंडिया ने अब ‘कैडबरी डेरी मिल्क क्रिसपैलो’ लांच की है।  क्रिस्पी-ईट फिंगर तर्ज़ पर बना यह उत्पाद 'मेड इन इंडिया' है।    

मोंडेलेज़ इंडिया  के मार्केटिंग (चॉकलेट) के निदेशक अनिल विश्वनाथन ने बताया, "आय बढ़ने, वैश्विक संस्कृतियों से रूबरू होने और मॉस मीडिया की बढ़ती पहुंच ने आज भारतीय उपभोक्ता को वैश्विक फूड अनुभवों के बारे में काफी जागरूक  किया है। विशेष रूप से कहूं, तो हमारे एक विशिष्ट उपभोक्ताओं के दल जेन-ज़ेड के साथ हाल ही में हुए काम में हमने अलग-अलग बनावटों और मिश्रित अनुभवों की इच्छाओं को महसूस किया।  यह हमारे लिए एक महत्वपूर्ण पहलु है, क्योंकि हमने हमारे उत्पादों के साथ कुछ नया करने का सोचा।

उन्होंने आगे बताया, " चाहे वो तकनीकी घटक हों या भिन्न प्रारूप, पिछले कुछ समय में हमने उपभोक्ताओं की ज़रूरतों को समझकर उन्हें पूरा करने का प्रयास किया है। फिर चाहे वो डेरी मिल्क सिल्क ओरियो हो या 5स्टार 3डी या फ्यूज़। क्रिसपैलो भी उसी यात्रा का पड़ाव है। यह हमेशा से पसंदीदा रही डेरी मिल्क के स्वाद के साथ क्रिस्पी क्रीमी प्रारूप का एक तुरंत साझा किया जा सकने वाला  उत्पाद है। इसका ‘काटो और बांटो’ वाला प्रारूप हमारी एकजुटता और ‘सबके साथ है खुशी’ वाली सोच से मेल खाता है। 

30 रूपये की कीमत वाली कैडबरी डेरी मिल्क क्रिसपैलो पर कैडबरी डेरी मिल्क, क्रंची वीट क्रिसपीज़ और स्मूथ चॉकलेट क्रीम की परत लगी हुई है।  

इस नए उत्पाद के लांच को 360 डिग्री कम्युनिकेशन कैंपेन सपोर्ट करेगा, जिसमें ब्रांड के मूल उपभोक्ताओं को साधने हेतु टीवीसी और आउटडोर तथा डिजिटल  कैंपेन का सहारा भी लिया जाएगा।

 

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Mondelez India brings Cadbury Dairy Milk Crispello in finger-bar segment
Mondelez India brings Cadbury Dairy Milk Crispello in finger-bar segment
 

After making Cadbury Dairy Milk as one of India's favourite chocolate brands for 70 years in India, Mondelez India has launched the Cadbury Dairy Milk Crispello. This product is the company's 'made in India' innovation in the crispy-eat finger format segment.

Anil Viswanathan, Director, Marketing (chocolates), Mondelez India, said, "With rising disposable incomes, exposure to global cultures and extensive reach of mass media, the Indian consumers have been exposed to a global palette of food experiences. More specifically, recent work with Gen-Z consumers, a key consumer cohort for us, has shown a desire for multi-textured & complex experiences. This has been an important dimension for us as we have thought about our innovations."

"Be it technology ingredients, or format – we have tried to deliver this consumer need through the innovations in the recent past. Be it Dairy Milk Silk Oreo, 5Star 3D or Fuse. Crispello is yet another milestone in this journey. It combines the much-loved Dairy Milk taste with crispy and creamy textures in a unique ready-to-share snappy format. Its snap and share capabilities further reinforce our shared values of togetherness and collective joy," he added.

Priced at Rs 30, Cadbury Dairy Milk Crispello is covered with a layer of Cadbury dairy milk, crunchy wheat crispies and smooth chocolate cream. 

The launch of the new product will be supported by a 360-degree communication campaign including a new TVC and outdoor & digital campaigns that target the brand's core audience.

 

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कैडबरी चॉकलेट निर्माता मोंडेलेज़ इंडिया के खिलाफ सीसीआई ने की शिकायत खारिज
कैडबरी चॉकलेट निर्माता मोंडेलेज़ इंडिया के खिलाफ सीसीआई ने की शिकायत खारिज
 

भारत के प्रतिस्पर्धा आयोग (सीसीआई) ने कैडबरी चॉकलेट निर्माता मोंडेलेज़ इंडिया के खिलाफ दायर शिकायत को खारिज कर दिया है। एक समझौते को समाप्त करने के संबंध में शिकायतकर्ता ने कन्फेक्शनरी विशाल मोंडेलेज़ इंडिया फूड्स द्वारा अनुचित व्यावसायिक प्रथाओं का आरोप लगाया।

निष्पक्ष व्यापार नियामक ने यह देखते हुए मामले को खारिज कर दिया है कि मोंडेलेज़ के खिलाफ (प्रतियोगिता) अधिनियम की धारा 3 या धारा 4 का कोई उल्लंघन नहीं किया गया है। धारा 3 विरोधी प्रतिस्पर्धी समझौतों से संबंधित है और धारा 4 प्रमुख बाजार स्थिति के दुरुपयोग के साथ सौदा करता है।

शिकायत महाराष्ट्र के पूर्ववर्ती स्टॉकिस्ट  और मोंडेज़ के उत्पादों के वितरक द्वारा दायर की गई थी। शिकायतकर्ता ने दलील दी कि कन्फेक्शनरी विशालकाय द्वारा प्रभुत्व और विरोधी प्रतिस्पर्धी प्रथाओं के दुरुपयोग के मुद्दों को उठाए जाने के बाद, मोंडेलेज़ ने दो इकाइयों के बीच निर्विवाद और झूठे आधार पर वितरण समझौते को समाप्त कर दिया।

नियामक ने कहा, "अन्य आरोपों के बारे में मोंडेलेज़ (विपरीत पार्टी) द्वारा पुनर्विक्रय मूल्य रखरखाव और वितरकों पर अपनी छूट योजनाओं के साथ आने के लिए प्रतिबंध, शिकायतकर्ता द्वारा उन्हें प्रमाणित करने के लिए कोई सहायक सबूत या संचार नहीं रहा है।"

"सीसीआई ने आगे कहा कि इसके अलावा, पुनर्विक्रय मूल्य रखरखाव अधिनियम के प्रावधानों का प्रति उल्लंघन नहीं है और सुझाव देने के लिए कुछ भी नहीं है कि आरोपी (विपरीत पार्टी) के आचरण के बाजार में प्रतिस्पर्धा पर एक  प्रतिकूल प्रभाव पड़ता है। इसलिए, कोई पहला पक्ष नहीं है अधिनियम की धारा 3 के प्रावधानों का उल्लंघन करने का मामला इस गिनती पर भी किया गया है ।"

 

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CCI dismisses complaint against Cadbury Chocolates Maker Mondelez India
CCI dismisses complaint against Cadbury Chocolates Maker Mondelez India
 

Competition Commission of India (CCI) has rejected a complained filed against Cadbury Chocolates Maker Mondelez India. The complainant alleged unfair business practices by confectionery giant Mondelez India Foods with regard to termination of a distribution agreement.

The fair trade regulator has dismissed the case after observing that no contravention of either Section 3 or Section 4 of the (Competition) Act is made out against Mondelez. Section 3 pertains to anti-competitive agreements and Section 4 deals with abuse of dominant market position. 

The complaint was filed by a Maharashtra-based erstwhile stockist and distributor of products of Mondelez. The complainant contended that after it had raised the issues of abuse of dominance and anti-competitive practices by the confectionery giant, Mondelez terminated the distribution agreement between the two entities on frivolous and false grounds.

The regulator said, "Regarding the other allegations such as resale price maintenance by Mondelez (Opposite Party) and restriction on distributors to come up with their own discount schemes, there has been no supporting evidence or communication by the complainant to substantiate them."

"Further, resale price maintenance is not a per se violation of the provisions of the Act and there is nothing to suggest that the conduct of the OP (Opposite Party) has an appreciable adverse effect on competition in the market. Therefore, no prima facie case of violation of the provisions of Section 3 of the Act is made out on this count also," CCI further added.

 

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Cadbury-maker 'Mondelez International' facing boycott in Gujarat
Cadbury-maker 'Mondelez International' facing boycott in Gujarat
 

The Cadbury distributors in Gujarat have gone on a boycott against the Cadbury-maker Mondelez International. The Gujarat Mondelez-Cadbury Distributors Forum has not engaged in any business with Mondelez India Foods Private Limited since six days now over issues ranging from its opposition to expanding distribution network through alleged phantom outlets to GST evasion through these outlets.

As per the estimates, there are 52 distributors of Mondelez in the state doing business worth Rs 400 cr per annum. Trouble has been brewing up between the two since February when the distributors formed a group to begin what they call a non-cooperation movement against the company.

“To show its retail penetration, the company forced each one of us to open multiple outlets periodically and linked incentives to the same. Since beyond a point that was not possible, we were forced to open dummy outlets through a company helpline number. Currently, there are about 10,000 bogus or non-existing outlets in Gujarat alone and we want the company to close them,” a representative from the forum said.

Mondelez India spokesperson said, “These allegations are false and baseless. As an ethical company, we never conduct business in a non-compliant manner. Our relationship – like many in the FMCG industry – is with our distributor partners to whom we sell stock. We work on an auto replenishment mode and our revenue is based on what we sell to these distributors – who in turn sell stock to retailers. No GST benefit can accrue to the company from fake outlets as alleged, since our systems are only enabled to sell to our distributor partners who are GST registered. Any inflation of retail outlets has no positive benefit, directly or indirectly, for our business.”

With GST now in place, distributors concerned feel this vicious cycle will collapse and they may come under tax scrutiny. “Mondelez has been showing expansion at our cost – these are bogus outlets – and are evading GST. We have become risk-managers for the brand and it is time we put an end to the malpractices.”

 

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Mondelez India, HUL introduce 'Cornetto Oreo'
Mondelez India, HUL introduce 'Cornetto Oreo'
 

Chocolate maker Mondelez India and FMCG major HUL have  introduced the co-created 'Cornetto Oreo' in the frozen dessert cone category in the Indian market.

Cornetto is an ice cream brand owned by HUL's step down firm Kwality Wall's, while Oreo is a premium cookie brand owned by Mondelez India, the maker of popular chocolates like Dairy Milk, 5 Star and Gems.

Cornetto Oreo will be sold at Rs 60 across all major stores coming up in the country.

Mondelez India Head a Biscuits Category, Sudhanshu Nagpal said, "Cornetto too, with its smooth creamy texture, crispy wafer cone all the way to the chocolatey tip has garnered tremendous consumer love over the years. We believe in bringing delicious moments of joy to our consumers and the Cornetto-Oreo partnership will be an exciting one.”

According to the company, Oreo was introduced here by Mondelez India six years back and in such a short span, India has emerged among its top-five markets by volume.

Himanshu Kanwar, GM at Kwality Wall's at HUL said: "As a brand it is our continued effort to innovate and create products that consumers love. Through this launch, we wish to give romance and love a new expression."

Mondelez India Foods (formerly Cadbury India) owned by global confectionery major Mondelez International. Besides chocolates, its portfolio consists of beverage brand as Tang and Bournvita. Under its candy portfolio, It has also has HallsA and A Choclairs GoldA.

Cornetto is one the world's leading ice cream brands launched in 1960 in Italy and is owned by Unilever.

 

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Mondelez Eyes $1bn Online Sales By 2020
Mondelez Eyes $1bn Online Sales By 2020
 

Mondelez said Indian business will be crucial to building its global ecommerce sales as the maker of Cadbury and Oreo strives for $1 billion in online sales by 2020.

Ganesh Kashyap, head e-comm, AMEA at Mondelez International said “As a company, we have taken a big bet to build a billion dollar business online in snacking by 2020. A third of that would come from Asian, the Middle Eastern and African regions and India will really be a key market for us. By 2020, online business will get to about 5% of our overall sales in India from less than 1% now. But the company also expects additional revenues to come from newer platforms it launched its own portal in India, marking its entry into the ecommerce business, especially to cash in on the premium gifting market. “We don't expect to be a retailer, but in gifting, there’s a real opportunity for personalisation of gifts. We as a company want to push the frontier in the space”.

Until now, the country’s largest confectioner has been selling its products online through marketplaces such as Big Basket and Amazon. Since last year, it has been deepening its relationship with them by having product customisation and promotions, exclusive to online. For instance, it set up a virtual chocolate store on Amazon India, launched Bournvita biscuits, Cadbury Fuse, Marvellous Creations and Silk Oreo first on various online portals before rolling them out at traditional retail stores.

The digital push comes at a time when health-conscious consumers are cutting back on discretionary spend, forcing chocolate and confectionery makers in India to post near-decade-low growth in sales last fiscal. Mondelez saw sales rise by about 6% in the year to March 2017, better than a year ago but far from the double-digit growth it had posted in most of the past decade.

Mondelez said e-commerce is showing signs of leapfrogging modern trade. In 2016, the company’s e-commerce net revenue grew more than 35% globally. China remains one of its biggest growth drivers with online sales already accounting for 10% of the country’s overall revenue.

 

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US DOJ likely to visit India for Mondelez bribery case, confirms CBI
US DOJ likely to visit India for Mondelez bribery case, confirms CBI
 

It has been a long-running battle for snack maker Mondelez International, Inc. The company, maker of button-shaped Gems candy-chocolate and Dairy Milk chocolate bars, has been trying to convince the US and Indian regulators for seven years that allegations of it having set up a phantom factory in Himachal Pradesh and paid bribes to regularise it were just that — mere allegations.

According to a source at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a team from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) is likely to visit India in the next few days to interview former and current employees of Mondelez India, formerly Cadbury India.

Apart from an anti-corruption unit of the CBI assisting DOJ, the Indian agency’s local unit in Himachal Pradesh and India’s Central Vigilance Commission are also conducting separate investigations under the Indian Prevention of Corruption Act of 1988.

The case may also pit two of the most celebrated FCPA personalities against each other — Daniel Kahn who joined the DOJ in 2010 and Mark Mendelsohn who left the department in the same year for private practice.

Peter Carr in the office of public affairs, DOJ, said, "As a matter of policy, the department generally neither confirms nor denies whether a matter is under investigation."

The spokesperson of the company said, "We continue to cooperate with all authorities to address this matter, which relates back to 2010-11, through the administrative and judicial process. This includes providing our executives with appropriate legal support during the process. We firmly believe that the decision to claim excise tax benefit is valid and that our executives acted in good faith and within the law in the decision to claim excise benefit in respect of our plant in Baddi. We are not aware of any criminal proceedings having been initiated by any authority against our company or ex-employees."

The CBI source said DOJ officials may visit India soon and the employees would be called then for interviews.

 

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?Activists criticise Coca-Cola's involvement in 'Clean Street Food' campaign
?Activists criticise Coca-Cola's involvement in 'Clean Street Food' campaign
 

Criticising the move by India's food regulator to join hands with Coca-Cola to teach street vendors about hygiene, a green body said the contract should be cancelled as it was against the country's interests.

Vandana Shiva, Founder, 'Navdanya' under Mahila Anna Swaraj Network, said, "First, we as citizens of India have the right to know on what basis this contract was allotted to Coca-Cola. Given their past record how did this corporation be given the contract?"

She alleged that given Coca-Cola's track record of pollution, contamination, water theft, food un-safety, and blatant transgression of Indian environmental laws, it does not qualify to teach Indians about food safety.

Shiva said, "We know this is an egregious step taken under corporate pressure by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Far from bringing food safety, this will ruin the diversity of India's street foods and will victimise the honest small street vendors of India, who for generations have been giving us taste and health."

Food regulator FSSAI recently tied up with Coca-Cola India to train 50,000 street food vendors over the next three years and plans to rope in other players like ITC and Mondelez under its 'Clean Street Food' campaign.

 

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?Mondelez International Inc. to pay USD 13 million for violation of FCPA
?Mondelez International Inc. to pay USD 13 million for violation of FCPA
 

US markets regulator the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged snack-maker Mondelez International, Inc. with poor internal controls and violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in India.

Mondelez has agreed to pay USD 13 million (approximately Rs 90 crore) in civil penalties without admitting or denying charges that its subsidiary Cadbury India (now Mondelez India Foods) paid a consultant who was suspected to have bribed government officials and possibly top state politicians to obtain licenses and approvals for a chocolate factory in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh.

A company spokesperson said in a statement, "Mondelez International Inc. and Cadbury Limited are pleased to have reached an agreement with the SEC to settle charges related to internal controls and books-and-records provisions of the FCPA, without admitting or denying the charges. As part of the settlement, Mondelez International Inc. has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $13 million to resolve the investigation."

The issue relates to Cadbury India's largest manufacturing plant located in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, which makes Bournvita, 5-Star bars and button-shaped Gems. According to the company's investigation, it sought to designate production lines of 5-Star and Gems as a separate unit (Unit II) to claim excise and income tax benefit of more than 60 million pounds (Rs 600 crore) over 10 years. It would have helped the company make an internal rate of return of 58.5 percent, documents show. It was suspected that the agent paid bribes to get the licences and approvals for the plant.

As of September 30, 2016, Indian tax authorities have demanded a total of Rs 820 crore in unpaid excise duties, penalty and interest, according to company filings with SEC.

A Mondelez spokesperson said, "We continue to hold that the decision to claim excise tax benefit is valid and that our executives acted in good faith and within the law in the decision to claim excise benefit in respect of our plant in Baddi. The matter is currently in the legal domain and therefore it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time."

 

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?Makers of Cadbury chocolates and Oreo biscuits witness slowest growth of the decade
?Makers of Cadbury chocolates and Oreo biscuits witness slowest growth of the decade
 

Maker of Cadbury chocolates and Oreo biscuits, India business of Mondelez, has witnessed the slowest growth in more than a decade last fiscal when demand for most discretionary products took a hit due to sluggishness in the economy.

According to its filling with the registrar of companies (RoC) , Mondelez India Foods posted a 4 percent growth in net sales for the year ended March at Rs 5,411 crore. Net profit dropped significantly to Rs 35 crore against Rs 98 crore in the previous year. The company had changed its financial cycle from December to March in the previous year.

For 15 months ended in March 2015, it had reported sales of Rs 6,507 crore. Mondelez maintained that India remains a high priority market for the firm.

A Mondelez India spokesperson, said, "We recognise that in the short term, the overall business environment has remained slack as demand was tepid in the domestic market. But as we invest into selling, marketing and people, we continue to protect our leading share positions in the near term."

The company spokesperson said, "Given our pace of growth we also need to attract the best talent from the market. So, when our former MD expressed a desire to move on, we decided an experienced leader from outside the business with extensive knowledge of the market was important for us to make the most of the significant opportunities for growth we see in India."

 

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Cadbury Bournville refreshes its pack design
Cadbury Bournville refreshes its pack design
 

Nusra

To remind a busy executive or a home maker to take out time for unwinding, Mondelez India, a part of Mondelēz International (NASDAQ: MDLZ), the global snacking and food company, re-introduces Cadbury Bournville.

Crafted from fine quality cocoa, carefully selected and refined to deliver an elegantly smooth, dark chocolate experience that captivates the senses with lingering cocoa character, that will set the mood right and add that extra flavor and delight to ‘personal unwind time’, at the end of each day.

Whether you unwind with soulful music or transcend to a different era with a classic novel, new Cadbury Bournville is your perfect unwind partner. The 50% Dark Cadbury Bournville comes in a refreshed packaging and a revamped avatar to deliver decadence in every bite. “We realize the importance of an individual’s unwinds time and we want people to celebrate this end of day routine and reward themselves. By introducing Cadbury Bournville as the perfect unwind partner, we hope to enhance this experience for our consumers. We are confident that the rich & irresistible taste of the Cadbury Bournville will heighten your senses and the lingering after-taste will leave you craving for more wind down moments.” said Prashant Peres, Director – Marketing (Chocolates), Mondelez India.

MondelÄ“z International has the strong credential in space of Chocolates; and is the maker of some of the leading Global Dark Chocolate brands in the world, like Cote O’Dor and Green & Black. Mondelez India is the pioneer of the dark chocolate culture in India and strives to take it a notch higher by bringing the best international recipes and concoctions to suit the Indian palate.

Dark Chocolate is still a nascent category and we believe that the current positioning will help us establish the end of the day occasion which will eventually lead into developing the Dark Chocolate category in India

With a structured aim at targeting the Cadbury Bournville’s core target audience (25 – 35 years, Urban affluent), this campaign will be supported by a new TVC, extensive sampling, outdoor advertising & interesting digital engagements. The creative agency for this campaign is Ogilvy & Mather; digital & media agency is Pinnacle (Madison).

The dark chocolate delight comes in 3 variants – Rich Cocoa, Raising and Nut & Cranberry. Enjoy this with your coffee, nibble on it as you read or simply relish the dark and luscious taste as you sit to unwind at the end of the day. The new Cadbury Bournville is available across all leading stores in India.

 

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