Nestle to invest Rs 230 cr in first Indian R&D centre

Nestle, the fast moving consumer goods major, today said it would invest Rs 230 crore to set up its first research and development (R&D) centre in India at Manesar in adjoining Gurgaon district. The facility will be made operational by July 2012. The R&D centre, the company’s 30th such facility worldwide, will facilitate innovation across a variety of categories -culinary, cereals, beverages and dairy products, among others.

Klaus Zimmermann, global head (R&D), said, “The new centre will focus on popularly positioned products, especially for India and also for markets worldwide. It will allow us to offer to consumers here and beyond the choice of tasty, healthy, and nutritious products.”

Adding: “Research on traditional Indian ingredients will also be an important part of R&D India’s scientific programme. This will include work on Indian spices, milk and locally grown cereals.”

The new centre will initially have a team of 40 scientists and engineers. Nestle R&D India will be fully integrated with the company’s global R&D network and work closely with centres in Switzerland, Singapore, Marysville (US) and Germany.

Nestle, which sells popular products such as Maggi noodles, Nescafe and KitKat chocolates, has been focusing on indigenisation of its products in India. The company has been in India since 1912.

It has seven manufacturing facilities in the country and recorded Rs 5,222 crore in sales last year.