"Nestle will complete 100 years in India next year. Just shows how Indian we are. From our side we are here for the long term...soon we will be turning the page of history over to the next chapter," said the Chief Executive Officer of Nestle SA, Mr Paul Bulcke, who was in the country to take a look at the company's operations.

As chief of one of the world's largest food processing companies, Mr Bulcke was also upbeat about his meeting with the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Friday. 'We were well received as a company... those were motivating moments for me to say we are here,' he said.

The incentives given by the Government to the food processing industry in the Budget last month seem to have gone down well with the food major. Though Nestle says it does not have any immediate plans in developing the cold chain or storage facilities here, 'the good news is that the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Food Processing are together. This brings the badly needed dimension to the entire value chain? it is a very good measure as it will help develop the link from the farm to the fork,' said Mr Antonio Helio Waszyk, Managing Director of Nestle India.

Apart from policy, Mr Bulcke's enthusiasm for India seemed to stem from his experiences the past week as he travelled across some of the company's manufacturing facilities and sales points. 'The mindset of the people here is refreshing,' he said commenting that he had almost forgotten the challenges that the European economy has created for businesses.

"I've been charging my batteries," the head honcho remarked, obviously finding the double digit growth clocked in 16 consecutive quarters by the Indian operations motivating.

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