Parle Plans Southern Foray

EH&C Staff - Jamshedpur

Parle Agro Pvt Ltd is planning to enter South Asian countries with its 'Frooti Mango' and other fruit-based drinks. According to director, Ashish Chatterjee, the group is currently looking at countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, etc. "We are getting a lot of enquiries, particularly from South-Asian countries, and we would like to take 'Frooti' beyond India, although we already have a presence in Nepal," he said. The company is also looking for franchisees in countries like Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia.

"We also have plans in the fruit-based beverages area where we may come up with new flavours," he said. The company is also planning an expansion in the north-eastern states where it has a lone franchisee at Guwahati. "We might expand there," he added, not denying the suggestion that Sikkim could be a good base for its operations. Parle Agro has, through its research and development efforts, recently

launched 'Njoy,' a blend of pure cow milk and pure Alfonso mango in Maharashtra and some parts of south India only.

The Parle Group's beverages division clocked a turnover of Rs 600 crore in 2003-04. The company aims at achieving a sales figure of Rs 800 crore by 2007-08. The company has been innovative in coming out for the first time in the country with a uniquely-shaped 65-ml pouch pack of 'Magic Frooti'.

Through its newly-appointed franchisee, the Ranchi-based Swastik Group, has chosen Jharkhand as its new destination. Said to be the biggest investment so far in the food-processing sector in Jharkhand, the two-unit Rs 15-crore project being set up on a four-acre land at Ranchi would produce 'Frooti' and 'Bailey' mineral water. The units are expected to be commissioned by early November this year. "The Swastik Group would have both manufacturing as well as distribution rights for the products in the two states of Jharkhand and Bihar," said Chatterjee.