Zepter to form India joint venture

Zepter International, a Switzerland-based company that produces, sells and distributes consumer goods, plans to form a joint venture company in India for starting its direct sales operations here.

“Negotiations are in advanced stages with two potential partners in Delhi and Bangalore. Zepter will have a 49 per cent stake in the proposed joint venture – Zepter Alliance – which will be incorporated in January 2009,” Zoran Vajovic, managing director of Zepter International India Private Limited, told mediapersons here on Sunday.

The Euro 5.2-billion (Rs 35,360 crore) company already has a licence to carry out its wholesale and cash-and-carry business in India through eight distributors.

 

Announcing the launch of the company’s Masterpiece Cookware – a cooking system designed to cook using no oils, water and salt – in the Indian market, Vajovic said the company planned to strengthen the team for the cookware product range in India, including signing up two distributors in Andhra Pradesh. The price of the cookware product portfolio ranges from Rs 30,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

“While the primary thrust will be on south India, we would be expanding to the rest of the country in a phased manner. We also plan to open up our product range in the medical and cosmetics portfolio,” he added.