Hatsun Agro to dish out spicy ready-to-eat range

After milk, ice-creams and milk products, Hatsun Agro, the country’s largest private dairy company, is diversifying into a range of heat-and-eat dishes under a new brand.

Later this week, the ₹ 2,500-crore dairy company will launch ready-to-eat range of dishes branded Oyalo.

Known for its Arokya milk, Hatsun dairy products and Arun and Ibaco-ice-creams it will now offer a spicy range of North I and South Indian vegetarian dishes. These refrigerated items can be warmed in a microwave or a conventional oven and served.

The company feels that its extensive cold chain infrastructure, experience in handling refrigerated products will enable it to offer a cost effective option in the growing market for convenience foods.

RG Chandramogan, Chairman, Hatsun Agro, told BusinessLine , the company has invested about ₹11 crore in a 12,500-sq-ft central kitchen. This is a novel attempt at giving a branded, clean and healthy packed meal. “No preservatives, no artificial colours or trans fats,” he added.

Beginning with a soft launch with one item later this week from two Hatsun outlets in Chennai, the company plans to bring out half-a-dozen vegetarian dishes, including variety rice in stages from mid-January in 15 shops in the city. The dishes will be priced between ₹40 and ₹85.

On the diversification into non-dairy products, Chandramogan said the company has extensive experience in handling short shelf life items.

The dishes with a shelf-life of about a week will be available in controlled atmospheric packages and distributed using Hatsun’s cold chain network.

Hatsun Distribution Centres which are redistribution centres for Hatsun products will handle the sales.

There are over 250 centres in Chennai and more than 2,000 in South India. The company will fine tune the product range before rolling it out fully, he said.

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