|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
Global food companies looking for dealers
|
|
Saturday, 24 November, 2007, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
|
|
P N V NAIR
|
a very fruitful and successful show, according to the organisrs and exhibitors. This has become the largest business to business (B2B) food and beverage exhibition in India, providing a platform to the Indian SMEs to meet up with their targeted buyers from the domestic as well as the international markets. India is making a distinct mark in the global food arena, both as a large producer and exporter of agricultural products and as a very large and growing market for processed foods, says Chandra Sekhar, assistant director, FICCI-CIFTI, which organised the three-day event in Mumbai from November 19 to 21, in association with Germany's pioneer in food exhibition, Cologne-based Anuga, and Koelnmesse GmbH. Bisleri, the name synonymous with packaged drinking water, and PepsiCo India were the principal sponsors.
There were several importers and distributors from abroad who were interested in the Indian products, also some well-known companies trying to get a share in the Indian food pie. According to Chandra Sekhar, there were about 150 exhibitors, some 50 companies from abroad - the biggest and the most crowded being the Japanese pavilion with some 15 exhibitors, followed by Thailand (10), Germany (9), South Korea (5), Italy (5), and individual participants from other countries like Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Unilever, Bayer, PepsiCo, Bisleri, Metro Cash & Carry, Mrs Bector's, Fun Foods, Bikanervala, Balaji Agro International, Johnson Diversey were some of the leading participants from India, besides Coffee Board, Tea Board, Spices Board, Coconut Development Board etc. Major importers of international foods like Rodaaji Company, Suresh Kumar & Co, L' Comps, AshokAsha Exim were also there showcasing their specialities.
Some Indian exhibitors like Nilon's, R K Industries, Fun Foods, Darshan Foods are reported to have received very good response and struck partnership deals with international companies. It is premature to say how many deals were struck during the exhibition. However, several enquiries were made and discussions would continue before entering into any business tie-ups.
This year's exhibition was the most successful with almost double the number of participants. The next show will be on November 13-15, 2008, in Mumbai, Chandra Sekhar informed.
Taking me around the exhibition was Marie-Christine Tillmann, sales manager, exhibitions, Koelnmesse GmbH, who was very much impressed with the diversity in Indian food. She couldn't believe that more than 60-70 % Indians are vegetarians.
Burkherd Endemann from CMA, the central marketing organisation of German agricultural industries, said it was the responsibility of his organisation to support German exporters and foreign importers of German food and beverages. In order to launch new products or move into new market segments or in order to increase existing sales, CMA carries out specific product or generic sales promotions in almost all the countries in the world, in the form of German weeks. He said there were 9 German companies with 17 brands at the exhibition. Some of the German companies are: Kruger GmbH & Co (coffee, tea, chocolates, sweeteners), Ludwig Schokolade GmbH & Co (chocolates, gift boxes, candy bars, chewing cady etc), Melitta Kaffee GmbH (Cappuccino), Dr Strieth Selection Weinexport (German wine, beer, alcohol), Jens Schleicher (cake, cookies, bread). These companies are looking for importers And distributors in India. Asked about the response at the exhibition, Endemann said the Indian market had been opened up to German companies following exhibitions like Anuga and Annapoorna. "That is a major development. India, China, Japan and Latin America are very important for Germany," he said.
The most sought after and exciting was the Japanese pavilion with some 15 participants. They were here for the first time and according to Makoto Takagi, senior manager Koelnmesse, Japan, they were quite new to introduce Japanese food in a vegetarian country like India. He finds most of the people with buying power in India are vegetarians. What they serve outside Japan is fusion food. Real Japanese food is different. Sushi is the most popular Japanese food around the world, and of all the fish that are used to make it, tuna is the most important and highly prized.
"We have decided to come to India because the GDP is growing and the people are spending more on processed food," says Takagi.
There were five participants from South Korea, and leading the pack was Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co. Ltd. The company has striven to diversify its overseas markets such as Japan, China, Russia, the US, South-East Asia, Middle East and Africa, in order to realize its vision to become the world's best beverage manufacturer. Lotte is already selling in Delhi and is launching its products in Mumbai by January. "There is growing health awareness now and people in India want fruit juices, not carbonated drinks. They are more health conscious," says Mike Agarwal, Lotte's Indian distributor. The other Korean exhibitors were KBF & Co (food additives), Sun-In Co Ltd (packaging, bakery materials), Hanbaran Co Ltd (herbal tea) and Newell Korea (cookies and candies).
Thai food is getting popular in India like Chinese food and no wonder there were about 10 Thai food stalls drawing some inquisitive crowd. And Italians were not lagging behind. There were five of them selling coffee, biscuits and snacks. Christina Armelloni, export manager of Italian gourmet ground espresso coffee Pellini, said she hoped to tap the growing Indian market of coffee drinkers. Another Italian coffee and confectionery company was Asolo Dolce. "We want to sell in India because we think it is a big market and we can increase our size here," says Josephine Gallina, who owns Asolo Dolce. These are some of the hundreds of international food companies trying to break into the Indian market. And if their strategies work out well, some of them will at least start selling their products in India soon, thanks to Annapoorna.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|