Argonaut PE fund invests in VKL

Mumbai, February 4,2008: US-based Global Private Equity Fund, Argonaut Private Equity, which manages more than US$ 3.5 billion in capital has invested into Kochi (India) based Vallabhdas Kanji Limited (VKL).

Argonaut's investment follows an investment by UTI Venture Fund in 2006 that allowed VKL to set-up a green field, state-of-the-art pepper processing facility in Vietnam and the acquisition of Beeta Chemicals, a leading flavours and fragrances firm in Mumbai. Combined, this gave VKL an overseas manufacturing facility closest to the world's largest pepper growing areas and a larger product offering through the addition of the IP-intensive flavours and fragrances business.

VKL Vietnam Ltd., the Vietnam subsidiary, started commercial shipments in December 2007, allowing VKL to become the only pepper processor in the world with steam-sterilized products shipping from the world's two major pepper-producing countries.

Argonaut funding will allow VKL to expand its global sales and marketing for private label business, further strengthen manufacturing capability and leverage synergistic inorganic growth opportunities in India and abroad.

Anil Khatod, Managing Director of Argonaut Private Equity, believes that VKL's origin based global delivery model has tremendous value in the food ingredients business worldwide and VKL's model would allow the company to continue its global expansion for many years to come.

Khatod adds, "The food processing industry in India is largely in the unorganised sector. This offers a player with VKL's strengths an excellent opportunity to aggressively grow market share in their traditional as well as new market segments. Confidence in VKL's management team and the company's fundamental strengths, coupled with Argonaut's existing relationship with UTI Ventures who are already invested in VKL made the decision to invest in to VKL easy for us".

Commenting on the Series B investment in VKL, Ajay Mariwala, Managing Director, said: "Having the confidence of a PE fund like Argonaut gives VKL the added thrust to more aggressively pursue its growth plans. Rapid near-term inorganic growth is definitely on the cards."

Added VKL Chairman Mr JV Mariwala, Chairman, "VKL is on its planned growth trajectory to continue to deliver to all its stakeholders"

About VKL

VKL is part of the USD 150 million Kanji Moorarji Group, headquartered in India. Established in 1935 and credited with establishing global standards in black pepper VKL is a leader in the global spice trade. VKL has a customer base that includes Fortune 500 companies and spans 40 countries. Over the last 3 years, the Company has entered three new lines of business - seasonings, private-label and flavors & fragrances.

VKL is a key supply-chain and ingredient solutions partner to leading fast food, snack-food, processed food, RTE (ready to eat) and other food segment companies. VKL also does private-label packing of spices & seasonings for some of the premier overseas retail and food-service Companies. In India, VKL operates four manufacturing facilities out of Cochin and Mumbai and has 100% owned subsidiaries in the US, Germany and Vietnam, and agents/representative network across the globe.

A leading India based venture fund, UTI - VF, invested in VKL in 2006. For more details on VKL, please visit the company website at www.vklspices.com

About Argonaut Private Equity

Argonaut Private Equity is a diversified global private equity fund with more than $3.5 billion under management. Argonaut exercises wide discretion on investment size, stage, sector and geography. Its equity investments span such diverse markets as alternative energy, technology, financial services, media, telecommunications, medical devices, aviation, retail and healthcare. In addition to active investment pace in India, Argonaut's portfolio includes investments in the United States, China, Israel, Japan, Eastern Europe and Australia.