The Hindu Business Line : Yakult Danone introduces probiotic drink

Mr Kiyoshi Oike, Managing Director, Yakult Danone India, and Mr Marcel Bertaud, Director (left), launching the probiotic drink in the Capital on Wednesday.

Our Bureau

New Delhi, Dec. 19 Yakult Danone India (YDI) has launched its probiotic drinks Yakult from its global portfolio. The company is betting on the wellness fad and hopes to sell at least one lakh bottles a day within a year of its operation.

Probiotics are dietary supplements containing potentially beneficial bacteria or yeast, with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as the most common microbes used.

YDI is a 50:50 joint venture company between Japanese firm Yakult Honsha and French dairy major Danone. The company will manufacture Yakult from its manufacturing unit at Rai, Haryana. The unit has been set up with an investment of Rs 136 crore . The joint venture will also market the fermented milk in India. Initially, the product will be available in Delhi and the National Capital Region. “We will gradually roll it out in other major metros and cities,” Mr Kiyoshi Oike, Managing Director, Yakult Danone India, said at a news conference here.

The company is also thinking about pumping in an additional Rs 100 crore over the next 3-4 years to expand its presence in the market, he said, adding that while globally the market for probiotic food has matured, in India it is still at a nascent stage. Mr Oike said the company expects to break-even in the next four years and is targeting revenues of Rs 100 crore-plus by then.

Mr Marcel Bertaud, Director, YDI, said: “Owing to the health benefit, there is a huge demand for probiotic food products globally. Most major dairy companies have their presence in this market which is estimated to be at $14 billion globally”.

Speaking on the benefits of the drink, he said: “Yakult is the only probiotic drink that contains more than 6.5 billion beneficial bacteria, which help in boosting immunity and aiding digestion when consumed on a daily basis”.

Home delivery

The company is looking at a two-way distribution model besides below-the-line activities to build a customer base. Apart from the retail route, the dairy products maker has introduced a home delivery system through ‘Yakult Ladies’ in a door-to-door campaign to help consumers understand the health benefits of the product.

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Yakult Danone introduces probiotic drink