Cost-effective cold chains to be new growth driver for ITC agri business

Diversified conglomerate ITC is pursuing a long-term strategy to build a cost-effective cold-chain that would lend a new growth driver to company's agri business while contributing to raising rural incomes, Chairman Y C Deveshwar said at the company's annual general meeting on Friday.

The company's ongoing investment in setting up integrated consumer goods manufacturing and logistics facilities (ICML) across the country provide a unique opportunity to co-locate a distributed network of cold-chain infrastructure at a shared marginal cost, he said.

ITC's ICMLs comprise state-of-the-art food processing plants and are being established at strategic locations close to markets. 

Outlining the vision, Deveshwar said, the