Pescafresh to enter e-commerce space

Tripura CM Biplab Kumar has asked Amul India to help develop dairy industry in the state.

A delegation of Amul India, headed by senior dairy expert S T Deshai called on Deb at his office and discussed the prospects of developing the dairy industry and milk-based economy in the state, shared a press statement.

The chief minister hoped that help from Amul will help in solving unemployment to some extent besides fulfilling the state's demand for milk, it said.

Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF) is the largest food company marketing milk and milk products under the brand name of Amul. Deb also said his government wants to share experiences in running dairy industry with Amul which has a vast experience in the sector.

The CM sought help from Amul to implement his plan of distributing 10,000 cows to farmers in rural Tripura. The state government had last month that it would launch a scheme for distributing 10,000 cows among 5,000 farmers to combat malnutrition and generate employment in the state.

Kamal Krishna Majumder, Director of Animal Resources Development Department, said that Tripura produced 1,74,260 metric tonnes of milk in 2017.

In April this year, a government notice said that steps would be taken for augmenting milk production at Gomati Milk Cooperative Limited.

Deb said, If Tripura become self-reliant in milk production then there will be no need for importing milk from other states and the money of our state will not go outside. I sought Amul India Limited to help in this sector."

By Nusra

Manufacturer of processed food products Fric Bergen (Vivan Foods Pvt. Ltd.), raises funding from Mumbai Angels Network (MA Network).

The Gurgaon-based sauce and dip producer was founded by Vivek Singh, Vandana Singh, and Rohit Agarwal in 2008.  Fric Bergen launched with the aim to offer premium-quality sauces at affordable prices in easy-to-use, single-serve sachets for on-the-go consumers.

 "Our focus is to cater to the masses. With prices of our products being as low as Rs 10, consumers usually end up buying two to three variants in one go," said Founder, Rohit Agarwal.

 The company retails over 30 SKUs in their product portfolio which includes a variety of mayonnaise, ketchups, sauces, dips, and jams.  With a strong distribution network covering over 10,000 retail outlets pan India, their focus lies in increasing this segment.

Commenting on the same, Agarwal added, "By the end of 2020, we plan to shift our retail revenues to 85 percent and HORECA at 15 percent."

“We are very excited to add Fric Bergen to our portfolio group of companies.  The consumer market industry is seeing a growth trajectory with rapid urbanization, evolving consumer lifestyles, rising income levels & growing per capita expenditure, awareness and desire to try new brands, and visibility of products through organized distribution points.  We believe Fric Bergen has a strong business model and are dedicated to providing them with the support they need to succeed,” said Nandini Mansinghka, CEO & MD, Mumbai Angels Network.

By Nusra

Cargill India has appointed Simon George as president for India operations.

George also leads the starches, sweeteners and texturizers business in India.

This announcement comes as Siraj Chaudhry, formerly chairman and country representative for Cargill in India has stepped down from his current role, after being at the helm for 12 years.

George has over three decades of experience in running various businesses in the food and beverage industry and has handled numerous senior level positions across regions, said the company.

“I strongly believe in the India growth strategy set out by our global leadership. Working together with all our partners, I am sure Cargill will take an even more prominent position in the Indian market in the near future,” shared George who has worked on developing business strategy, new markets, mergers and acquisitions, providing turnkey solutions and establishing business tie ups.

Meanwhile, Chaudhry will continue to be associated with Cargill as a senior advisor to the organization. Having worked for 24 years in the company, Chaudhry has been instrumental in building the consumer and institutional food business for Cargill in India, working with customers and other external stakeholders that are critical to the company’s operations and growth in India, said officials.

Anmol Industries, a branded packaged food company focused on biscuits and cakes, has received approval from markets regulator SEBI for its initial public offering (IPO). The Kolkata-based company filed the DRHP (draft red herring prospectus) for the IPO in June.
Since 1994, Anmol Industries Limited has come a long way to become one of the fastest growing FMCG brands of India.

The IPO would aggregate up to Rs 750 crore through an offer for sale. 

The offer for sale would be by Baijnath Choudhary & Family Trust, represented through its trustees aggregating up to Rs 720.4 crore, by SKG Land Developers LLP aggregating up to Rs 22.5 crore, by Delta Nirman LLP aggregating up to Rs 4 crore, by Anmol Hi-Cool LLP aggregating up to Rs 2.5 crore and by Puneet Mercantiles LLP aggregating up to Rs 60 lakh.

Edelweiss Financial Services Limited, ICICI Securities Limited and Motilal Oswal Investment Advisors Limited are the BRLMs (Book Running Lead Managers) to the issue.

French foods giant Danone has decided to exit the dairy business in India. The company which entered India in 2010 is rationalising its product portfolio and has discontinued stock keeping units (SKUs), which have been making a minority contribution to its overall business in India that include the UHT (ultra high treatment) and fresh dairy products.

In line with this, Danone’s factory at Rai near Delhi has discontinued production.

Danone under the leadership of its India MD Rodrigo Lima, plans to focus on its nutrition business that it had acquired from Wockhardt in 2012, for about Rs 1,500 crore. In 2015, the company consolidated its India business by merging the two portfolios (dairy and nutrition).

Danone was incurring losses on its dairy business which includes milk, flavoured yogurt, buttermilk, cold coffee, curd and smoothies and could not sustain maintaining its margin. The company was unable to compete with national giants like Amul, Mother Dairy and other regional brands.

In a statement, Danone said it has decided to rationalise its product portfolio in India to allow for accelerated investments and a sharper focus on growing its nutrition portfolio which is more than 90% of the business. The company said Danone has a stated goal to double its nutrition business in India by 2020 in line with its global mission to ‘bring health through food to as many people as possible’ and this renewed focus is key to achieving this goal.

Danone India Spokesperson said “We have great ambitions for our business in India and remain committed to invest and grow in India through well-established brands such as Protinex, Aptamil, Farex, Dexolac and Neocate. In order to maximise growth opportunities, we are continuously analysing our portfolio and sharpening our focus to accelerate investments on the best performing categories and products. For this reason, we will discontinue some of the SKU’s sold in India. Our focus is to bring nutritionally superior and relevant products to India, and 2017 has been a testimony of that with 10 new launches including some from our global portfolio”.

Mother's Recipe, one of the FMCG product manufacturers has extended its ready to cook recipes.

The group has introduced four new Kerala variants namely Malabar Chicken Curry, Malabar Fish Curry, Kerala Chicken Roast and Kerala Prawns Fry.

These have been launched in South and would be introduced in other regions of the country in coming months.

Mother’s Recipe currently has around 20 Ready To Cook Spices Mixes in its portfolio comprising both Veg and Non-Veg variants. It has in its portfolio spice mixes of popular dishes from each of the 4 regions of India; Chicken Moghalai, Chicken Nawabi and Kadhai Paneer of the North, Fish Curry of the East, Pav Bhaji and Sprouts Curry of the West and Chicken Chettinad and Puliogare of the South.

Some of the popular veg variants are Paneer Butter Masala, Veg Biryani, Veg Makhanwala and Pav Bhaji. Popular Non-Veg variants include Chicken Biryani, Butter Chicken, Chicken Chettinad, Chicken Curry and Mutton Curry.

To keep pace with the burgeoning demand for its RTC Spice Mixes, Mother’s Recipe is in the process of launching half-a-dozen new variants in its portfolio.

With changing lifestyles and the increasing need for convenience, the demand for RTC Spice Mixes is on the rise. There is an increasing population of Indian women that neither has the time nor the knowledge to cook traditional meals on a regular basis, but wants meals with original traditional taste. The increase in number of working women, increasing work and study commitments, declining culinary skills and rise in Double Income No Kids/bachelor households has led to the increase in consumption of such RTC products.

The total processed foods market size currently stands at Rs. 2500 crore, out of which RTC’s market size is Rs.700 crore (barring noodles and pasta) and is expected to grow around 20-25% over the next five years.

Madhya Pradesh based Ruchi Soya Industries has sold its entire stake in joint venture firm, Ruchi Kagome Foods India, for Rs 63 crore.

"The company has disposed off its entire stake in the JV company at a consideration of Rs 63 crore and has entered into Termination Agreement and Share Purchase Agreement with Kagome Co and others, on May 20, 2016, resulting into termination of JV arrangement with parties thereto," it said in a BSE filing.

In 2013, Ruchi Soya had announced the JV with Japanese tomato products firm Kagome Co and investment and trading firm Mitsui & Co to launch premium tomato puree, sauces, ketchup and other products in India.

Besides this JV, Ruchi Soya has also tied up with J-Oil Mills and Toyota Tsusho Corporation to launch innovative products like functional healthy cooking oils in India.

It has also formed a JV with a Canadian Research company -- D J Hendrick -- to offer high yielding non-GM soya seed varieties to Indian Farmers.

Ruchi Soya is an FMCG manufacturer of edible oils, soya food, premium table spread, vanaspati and bakery fats. It owns brands such as Nutrela, Mahakosh, Sunrich and Ruchi Gold.

It is also one of the leading exporters of soya meal, lecithin and other food ingredients from India.

RI Bureau 

Zappfresh, online fresh meat delivery focusing on delivering high quality ready to cook meat products has tied up with SRS Grocery, a Delhi based e-tailer having both, online and offline presence with over 100,000 plus customers.

This tie-up will not only help Zappfresh to reach out to customer base of SRS grocery, but also give them access to newer markets. Customers of SRS Grocery will now be able to choose from a wide range of over 40 high quality fresh non-vegetarian options including chicken, mutton, fish and pork and pre-cooked items like ham, sausages and salami. SRS’s already has a comprehensive online product catalogue of over 7500 SKUs and reach in Gurgaon, Noida and Faridabad. This tie-up will enable them to enter into a new product category altogether. This service is currently available in Gurgaon and South Delhi and would shortly be available in other cities.

Commenting on the tie up, Shruti Gochhwal, co-founder, said,” The meat business in India is growing at an impressive rate. The segment has grown at an average 18 per cent CAGR across category. Chicken tops the list followed by fish and other meat products. The Poultry industry alone is an INR 40,000 crore market now. Even if we are able to scratch the surface of this market, we are talking about Zappfresh being in pole position. We have aggressive expansion plans and are looking at similar synergies in newer markets.”

Zappfresh has also already partnered with “ColdEX”, India’s number one cold chain logistic company for managing their supply chain inventory.

Deepanshu Manchanda, Co-founder, Zappfresh further added, “We are very pleased on our association with SRS Grocery, as it aligns with our strategy of delivering high quality products to customers.  With this tie-up we look forward to further increasing our market share in the geographies we are currently present in and also get access to newer markets. Currently we are reaching out to over 30,000 unique customers a month and expect to double this number by the mid-2016.

Pratik Jindal, Managing Director of SRS e-Retail Ltd., said, “Zappfresh has created its own niche in the meat space industry by providing neatly packaged and carefully inspected high quality meat products. With this association we want to leverage Zappfresh products and offer a convenient solution to consumers who want to shop for quality and hygienic meat products but are strapped for time.”

Bagrry's, breakfast cereal maker is eyeing Rs 400 crore turnover in five years as it plans to expand into a multi-product and multi brand company, reported PTI.

"We are looking at Rs 400 crore turnover in five years. We are focusing to become a multi-brand, multi product company in the food space, with health and wellness at the core of the products we offer," said Bagrry's India, Director, Aditya Bagri.

"Going forward, we will launch more brands and enter new product categories. At present we have two brands -- Bagrry's and Lawrence Mills," he said.

The company expects to clock Rs 100 crore turnover in the current fiscal year.

Elaborating on the plans, he said, "The company is looking at adding more products under Lawrence Mills brand. We are also aiming at doubling at distribution network to 1 lakh outlets in two years as against 50,000 at present across the country."

On whether the privately held company is looking at raising funds through an initial public offer (IPO), Bagri said, "We are looking at sustainable growth... We are exploring different capital structures. But there is no primary need for capital in the near future. We will only need it to grow faster. These things like listing (on stock exchanges) will be on cards as we scale up."

Currently,  Bagrry's India, exports its products to countries such as US, Canada, Nepal and Bhutan, is also talks to enter more overseas market.

"We are in talks to explore opportunities in other countries. However, our focus will also always be on domestic market," Bagri added.  

Coca-Cola's bottling arm Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages may face disruptions at one of its bigger plants after environment watchdog National Green Tribunal issued a notice to the company seeking explanations on its plant's drainage and waste "polluting" the environment, reported ET.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) said "facts in a pollution report" it had ordered on HCCB's plant at Mussoorie Gulawati Road industrial area in Ghaziabad were "alarming". It also said the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) should take note of the matter in the interest of environment.

A company spokesperson told that HCCB will file its response to the tribunal's notice over its plant at Mussoorie Gulawathi Road industrial area in Ghaziabad to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and UPPCB before the next NGT hearing on January 14, 2016.

The plant has ensured compliance to all regulatory requirements since its inception in 1999, said the company spokesperson. This is the third bottling plant of the top beverages maker to get embroiled in controversy over environmental issues and going by past experiences it may impact its operations.

HCCB's plant at Plachimada in Kerala is no longer functional following local agitations while its plant in Varanasi is also facing local resistance over charges of ground water depletion. The Mussoorie Gulawati Road plant, which makes soft drinks and juices, is one of the many HCCB plants in UP.

The company defended that, saying the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC) had not provided drainage system in this industrial area and directed the beverage maker to discharge waste at a designated pond.

NGT, in its notice dated December 11, said an inspection found the said pond to be overflowing with effluents. The tribunal has sought clarifications from HCCB before passing any order and directed it to submit its entire drainage map, explaining how sewage as well as trade effluents flow out and move to the pond.

The company spokesperson said, "Since the commencement of operations of our plant, all treated effluents generated by the HCCB plant are in conformity with the prescribed standards."

"Since its inception, our plant has been operating under all requisite government licenses, registrations and approvals including those in relation to air, water and hazardous waste. Every material aspect of the functioning of the plant was accordingly subject to the scrutiny of the appropriate regulatory authorities and we have ensured compliance to the same at all times", he adds.

In February this year, local agitation had led to HCCB relocating its plans to expand operations in Varanasi, after failing to get an NOC from the Central Ground Water Authority.

HCCB had announced it was altering plans to set up a proposed PET line at its Varanasi plant and relocating it elsewhere. It continues to operate a glass bottle line in Varanasi plant even as local villagers demand its closure, accusing the firm of depleting excessive ground water.

In 2005, Coca-Cola had shut down its plant at Plachimada following the Kerala State Pollution Board ordering its closure on allegations of excessive ground water depletion.

Bisleri International, bottled water is looking to re-enter the soft drinks business early next year as part of its plans to clock a turnover of over Rs 2,000 crore by 2020.

The company, which is making a comeback in soft drinks segment after over two decades, has earmarked a budget of around Rs 100 crore for the new venture, reported PTI.

"Bisleri, as a company by 2020, should be more than Rs 2,000 crore. The growth will come with expansion of business (into new areas) such as soft drinks," R K Garg, Bisleri International Director mentioned.

During 2014-15 fiscal, Bisleri had a turnover of about Rs 700 crore and is growing at a range of 20-25 per cent, he said. Now, "We have plans to launch soft drinks in early 2016. For expansion of the company, we have to diversify. We were in that business for a long time and now we are coming in that with different flavors", Garg said.

Bisleri promoter Ramesh Chauhan had sold five popular brands Thums Up, Limca, Gold Spot, Maaza and Citra to global beverage major Coca Cola in 1993. Both parties had entered into a non-compete agreement, which expired in 2008.

"There is no clash with it now", Garg said, adding that Bisleri International would invest around Rs 100 crore in rolling out the new soft drinks.

Company plans to introduce the soft drinks in lemon, spicy, mango and pina colada flavours. It is looking at manufacturing these products in at least its five locations. On the company's overall growth, Garg said the company expects an increase from non-metro markets. Presently, metro markets contribute around Rs 300 crore to Bisleri's total sales.

Moreover, Bisleri is also planning to ramp up production of Vedica and expand its export market.

Mondelez International Inc, the owner of the Cadbury chocolate brand, has engaged bankers to explore the sale of a number of confectionery products including Terry's Chocolate Orange and Terry's All Gold, reported Sky News.

According to the report, of late Mondelez has realised that Terry’s brand chocolate is not its core business.

The group is planning to sale products in parts of United Kingdom, France, Spain and the Netherlands.

Terry’s which has its route back in 18th century was bought by Kraft Foods in 1993. And today, the sale is being he sale is being handled by Lazard, the investment bank that led Kraft's takeover of Cadbury in 2010, Sky News said.

And today, the sale is being undertaken by Lazard, the investment bank that led Kraft's takeover of Cadbury in 2010, added Sky News.

Kraft Foods Kraft Foods bought Cadbury for 11.7 billion pounds to create the world's top confectioner and has split its snacks and grocery businesses in 2012.

Hundreds of people are gathering at the Maggi Noodles' food stall at the ongoing India International Trade Fair (IITF) to taste their favourite comfort food. After being off the shelves for more than six months, India's popular instant noodle is back in the market, reported IANS.

"This is the only stall here at the trade fair. It's the first time that a Maggi stall has been installed here at Pragati Maidan and the response has been overwhelming. We are selling 500-600 plates every day. It's just plain Maggi noodles but still people are thronging our counter more than any other food stalls here," said Shobhit Sharma from the sales team of Nestle, the Switzerland-based holding company of the international brand of soups, noodles and seasonings.

One of the reasons cited for the success of Maggi sales at the trade fair is the revoking of the ban that was imposed six months ago on the brand.

"People are craving for Maggi. It is back in the market after six months which seems to be a long time for Maggi lovers. It is something which is consumed by people of all age groups throughout the country. Most of our customers today here have been older people - which is quiet surprising since mostly it is believed that only the younger generation prefers the two-minute noodles," Sharma added.

Satish Chauhan, one of the food coupon distributors at the Park Balluchi eating centre said that less than two per cent of the crowd was buying coupons of other food stalls.

"Everybody wants Maggi here. We have other food stalls also offering food like dosas, bhel puri and pizzas but the demand for Maggi has been highest since day 1," said Chuahan.

Young professional Neha Sharma from Tilak Nagar said, "Ever since I came here I've been longing for these noodles and Pakistani chai. It is a sigh of relief. There is a lot of decadent food over here but all I want is Maggi. My mother came to the trade fair on the first day itself and informed me that there is a Maggi stall at the trade fair. So today I'm here with her."

In May, eight variants of the noodles were under the radar of the Food and Safety Standards Authority of India after it found 'non-permissible' levels of lead and MSG in the product. However, the food departments of Britain and Canada approved the product as safe for consumption. Nestle India had re-launched its popular noodle brand on 9th November after the Bombay High Court lifted the ban on it.

By RI Bureau

MTR Foods Pvt. Ltd., the pioneer packaged foods in India, unveiled ‘Rice Kodubale’ in addition to the authentic range of MTR SnackUp. Rice Kodubale is an exciting, spicy twist to the popular bangle-shaped traditional Karnataka snack. Every bite of these authentic, delicious rings is crispy and crunchy with a hint of flavorful spices.

MTR SnackUp was launched in 2013 and has now expanded to include more than 20 variants of snacks. Owing to their fresh ingredients and authentic taste, MTR Foods Snack-up range has a long shelf life, thus making all the variants the ideal tea or coffee partners or just as quick on-the-go snacks.

“Kodubale is a widely-known snack in Karnataka and is enjoyed across the state. With the introduction of the Rice Kodubale variant in our SnackUp range we have added another appetizing, fresh choice for our consumers. We are confident that Rice Kodubale, with its authentic, spicy and crunchy flavors will enjoy by all”, said Vikran Sabherwal, Vice President - Marketing, MTR Foods.

This snack will be available at neighborhood grocery stores and modern trade stores in 180 gm packs priced at Rs. 50.

Cornitos, the flagship brand of GreenDot Health Foods Ltd has introduced Premium Roasted Cashew and California Almond, lightly salted nuts, reported by a Website.

The cashews and almonds are handpicked and processed through unique roasting technology for a uniform roast and a crunchy bite. They are packed in nitrogen flushed 170 calories pouches for special crunch and natural flavour.

Vikram Agarwal, director, GreenDot Health Foods Ltd, said during the launch, “The drastically growing Indian FMCG snack industry is making a transition with a fundamental shift in consumer dietary pattern. Snacking in India is not new. Snack foods have been under constant attack for excess of calorie, fat including trans fat, sugar, sodium, etc. in them. The much old Indian dry fruits and nuts industry which has been gaining demand ever since is on the rise. Considering this we have introduced king size roasted cashew and California almonds in 170 calorie packs that can provide day-long energy essential for active lifestyle and good health.”

Pop N Crunch range is the brand’s unique product category under healthy snacking after Nacho crisps. Currently the range has Coated Green Peas in two flavours, Wasabi and Hot & Spicy.

Cornitos commenced its entry into the branded Indian snack category with Nacho crisps and is now available in 10 flavours.

Although the price of Roasted Cashew 34 gram pack is Rs 50, the gift pack of six pouches costs Rs 300. The Roasted Almonds of 32 gram and gift pack of six pouches are available for Rs 50 and Rs 300 respectively.

TV Mohandas Pai, former Infosys Director has invested in Licious, the food tech start-up that delivers fresh meat to the homes of consumers.

Pai made the investment along with Kanwaljit Singh, founder of Fireside Ventures and former Senior Managing Director of venture capital firm Helion.

The company said that it has brought together all stages of fresh meat procurement, processing and delivery under one roof with high standards of quality.

“The team understands the delight of their customers with consistent high quality experiences are the ones that make a real impact,” said Pai.

“We sincerely hope to forever change the consumer landscape in the fresh meat space as we go about redefining the standards of quality across the value chain”, said 28-year-old Abhay Hanjura owner of Licious.

Licious owns and operates a fully automated meat processing unit at Hennur in Bengaluru with delivery hubs in localities such as Marathahalli and Kammanahalli.

The company plans to open a total of about 10 hubs in phases to cover the rest of the city.

The company also says that the meat products were sourced after stringent internal quality checks. It uses patented, vacuum sealed and temperature controlled containers to deliver items such as chicken, lamb and sea food. It promises to deliver meat products in about 90 minutes.