BS People: Siraj Chaudhry

Synergy manager

One after another, Cargill’s Indian subsidiary has acquired established brands in the country to form a formidable, array that promise a tough time to entrenched players in the fast-moving food products segment. The latest addition to this portfolio is Sweekar (recently acquired from Marico), a well-positioned premium edible oil. Cargill was already producing and marketing sunflower oil locally under its NatureFresh and Gemini brands. It acquired Gemini in 2005 and Rath in November last year, both being leading brands.

NatureFresh is the only brand launched by the company; this happened around 10 years earlier and it is doing well in the market place.

The person behind the latest acquisition is Cargill India chairman Siraj Chaudhry, a commodity veteran with about two decades of experience. That includes government-owned State Trading Corporation and the ITC conglomerate, before moving to this multinational corporation. He has been associated with Cargill for 17 years, during which period of time, he has handled various key responsibilities in Geneva and in India.

A graduate from the capital’s well known Shri Ram College of Commerce and with a management degree from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, he has also been active with various industry associations such as the Confederation of India Industry and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, besides being a regular invitee to policy discussions with the government.

By adding Sweekar to its broad range of low-absorption oils, Cargill is poised to better address the growing number of health-conscious consumers in India. The company intends to build on Sweekar’s strong brand heritage. Cargill has expanded its Indian operations in a major way since the commencement in 1987. The company’s operations include the origination, handling, processing and production of a wide range of products such as refined oils, grain and oilseeds, sugar, cotton and animal feed, as well as food and beverage flavours.