The Hindu Business Line : SBEC enters speciality sugar biz with Originale

SBEC Sugar Ltd, part of the Rs 1,100-crore UK Modi group, has entered the premium speciality sugar products market with the launch of `Originale'. The company has invested between Rs 15-20 crore in the speciality sugar business, catering to hotels, pharmaceutical companies and other institutional buyers.

Mr Abhishek Modi, Executive Director of SBEC Sugar, said, "We have tried to create a new product category with Originale, and want to differentiate it from the branded sugar available in the market. For the first year, Originale's sales target is Rs 10 crore."

Originale comes in seven variants such as the low-calorie `Originale Half Spoon' and separate flavours for tea, coffee and milk. The company has also launched cubes made from pharma-grade sugar, icing sugar and quick-dissolve sugar. Originale Half Spoon is twice as sweet as regular sugar, so it reduces sugar and calorie intake by half.

The Originale Demerara Coffee Sugar supposedly enhances the taste and aroma of coffee, while the Originale Flavoured Sugar for Milk is positioned as an alternative to milk additives for kids.

Mr Modi said another 6-7 products would be launched under the Originale brand next fiscal. By 2007-08, the company plans to reach to 40,000 outlets across 32 cities. He said Originale was test marketed extensively in Delhi and Bangalore, and the company expects Rs 50 crore sales by 2007-08.

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