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K. Giriprakash

Bangalore, July 4

Kraft Foods, which has made a bid for Groupe Danone’s biscuit business, is willing to explore all options including entering into a joint venture to market its products in India.

“We are willing to look at all sorts of options. The door is open for any type of operations,” Mr Tod Gimbel, Director for Corporate Affairs for the Asia-Pacific region, told Business Line. However, he did not specify a timeline for entering the market.

Yesterday Kraft Foods announced that it has made a firm offer of 5.3 billion euros for Groupe Danone’s global biscuit business, excluding Indian and South American markets.

Mr Gimbel said that one of the reasons for India being excluded from the deal could be the “difficulties” that Groupe Danone was facing with its Indian partner.

According to certain reports, Groupe Danone could sell its stake in Britannia Industries to Kraft if the Wadia Group allows it to do so.

Mr Gimbel said that Danone had not talked to Kraft Foods about this option.

He also said that there have been no talks with the Wadia Group on this issue.

The international business of Kraft is headed by Mr Sanjay Khosla, who is Executive Vice-President of Kraft International Commercial and is responsible for leading the company’s $11-billion business outside of North America.

Mr Khosla, who joined Kraft in January this year, earlier worked with Unilever in India and with the Fonterra Co-operative Group in New Zealand.

Mr Gimbel said that Kraft was planning to launch Oreo, considered the largest international biscuit brand, and Toblerone, the confectionary brand, in India soon.

He added that its fruit flavoured drink, Tang, had exceeded the company’s predictions.

Kraft Foods had earlier tied up with Dabur to distribute Tang in India but the deal was terminated in 2003.

Related Stories:
Britannia, Danone play down impact

More Stories on : Outlook | Food & Dairy Products | Foods & Food Processing

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