The Hindu Business Line : Food & drink meet turns out to be a damp squib

For all the hype that was generated prior to the three-day second International Food, Drink & Hospitality Exhibition (IFDE India 2004), which was kicked off in Delhi on Wednesday, the event turned out to be a damp squib.

Not only were `major food giants' that were expected to participate in the event absent, even the Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, Mr N.T. Shanmugam, came a good two hours late for the inauguration of the event.

The event, organised by the International Trade & Exhibitions (ITE), was being promoted as a significant industry expo, with representation from `major Indian and international food and beverage brands'. However, names such as Nestle India, ITC Foods, MTR Foods, Rasna, Kellogg and Dabur Foods were conspicuous by their absence.

And Hindustan Lever, though represented at the event, had a minimal presence, with no top-level representation from the company.

"In India, typically, such events do not lead to business generation. It makes sense to participate in such events only if they are consumer-oriented," said Mr J. Suresh, CEO & Executive Director, MTR Foods.

Echoed a Dabur India spokesperson, "We tend to participate in fairs and seminars which focus on the consumer."

Or take Rasna Pvt. Ltd. Even though the company's name was mentioned in the pre-event publicity material, Rasna did not have representation. When contacted by Business Line, Mr Piruz Khambatta, Chairman & Managing Director, Rasna, confirmed that the company was not participating in the IFDE.

According to Mr Ravi Naware, Chief Executive of ITC Foods, such events are more focused on the institutional sector and cater more to the interests of the hospitality sector.

"Participating in such events is not really relevant for packaged food companies such as ours, which are more focused on the consumer," Mr Naware said.

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