Britannia reaches out to schools

Partnering with NGOs and state govts to provide micro-nutrient enriched products to school children

Britannia Industries, India's largest biscuits and bakery company, is partnering with the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and state governments to provide micro-nutrient enriched products to school children.

According to the company, majority of the school children in rural India are suffering from anemia because of low intake of iron in their diets.

“The Company believed that the best way to be socially responsible on a sustainable basis was to embed that idea into its business model. 50% of the volume that Britannia sold, across biscuits, bread and dairy was already enriched with micro-nutrients,” Britannia Industries’ chairman Nusli N Wadia had told the shareholders at the company’s annual general meeting held in Kolkata last month.

“The Company was also partnering NGOs and state governments to provide micro-nutrient enriched products to populations most at risk, which were school children,” he had added.

The company is understood to have partnered NGOs like Navjyoti India Foundation and Naandi Foundation to launch this programme across different schools in India. Besides, Britannia has also tied up with partnered with World Food Programme (UNWFP) and Midday meal programme in Chennai and Puducherry for supply of fortified biscuits to school children.

Britannia brands reach out to over 300 million households across India. More than 40% of the consumption of Britannia products happens in rural India, according to the company.

In the first quarter of fiscal 2012-13, the Company’s consolidated revenue increased by 12% at Rs 1,348 crores when compared with the corresponding quarter of the previous year.