Mother Dairy ventures into olive, rice bran oil segment

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| "In line with the changing needs of consumers, we are venturing into the olive oil segment with a new brand "" Daroliva," Mother Dairy CEO Paul Thachil said. |
| The company aims to achieve 10-15 per cent market share in the olive oil segment within a year of the launch, he said, adding the total market of olive oil in the country is around 2,000 tonnes a year. |
| Demand for Mediterranean food such as pasta, pizza has risen in the country over the years leading to an increased demand for olive oil as a cooking medium. The demand of olive oil in India is growing at 30 per cent per annum, he said. |
| Daroliva "" extra virgin olive oil "" is imported from Spain and the packaging of the product is done at Dhara Vegetable Oil & Foods Company facility in Gujarat. |
| The company has priced the oil at Rs 165 for the 200 ml pack and it would be available in four different sizes. |
| "Initially, we would be selling olive oil in top 25 markets of the country and gradually, we will move to smaller towns and remote markets," Thachil said. |
| About marketing strategy, he said, the launch of Daroliva would be supported by print campaign in addition to attractive point-of-purchase material and the company also plans to hold sampling sessions at various retail outlets and malls. |
| The firm is also venturing into the rice bran oil with it new brand 'Dhara Rice Bran Oil' in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh market. |
| "Unlike olive oil, rice bran oil is a mass-based product and we are going to launch it all over the country in a phased manner," Thachil said. |
| Mother Dairy is manufacturing the rice bran oil in its plant located in Hospet, Karantaka and is planning to sell around 100 tonnes per month in these two markets. |
| It is expecting an anuual sales revenue of around Rs 80 crore per annum from the rice bran oil segment in the first year. |
First Published: Nov 16 2007 | 12:00 AM IST