Thailand-based agro-industrial conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Foods PublicCompany Limited (CP Foods) today announced its foray into the packaged foods business in India, with a new chicken processing plant in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh.
Specially crafted by its in-house chefs, the company will be unveiling a range of branded products, including CP Frozen Chicken, CP Chilled Chicken, CP Easy Snacks-veg and non-veg, and CP Eggs, company officials told reporters here.
Stating that CP is committed to providing nutritious, tasty and high-quality products, they said the company undertakes fully integrated food processing operations in the country, ranging from feed production and farming to food processing and distribution under "farm to fork" concept.
Calling India a "key market" for the company, CP Foods India Senior Vice President Sanjeev Pant said, "The packaged foods industry is estimated to grow up to USD 50 billion by 2017 and we aim to play a significant role in it with the launch of India's best chicken processing plant in Chittoor."
Not wishing to comment on its targetted market share, he said, "We want to be one of the top food players, especially in the non-veg category in the next five years."
CP Group is headquartered in Thailand with representative offices in 17 countries and presence in 40 countries.
CP India was established in 1992.
The company also announced signing boxing champion M C Mary Kom as its brand ambassador.
Pointing out that Chittoor is a strategic location for the company for setting up its plant, Pant said: "Our backward integration was already happening in that area and it is a perfect location as it is between two large cities (Bengaluru and Chennai)."
Pant said USD 18 million has been invested in the Chitoor facility, which has a capacity of 20,000 tonnes per year for primary processing and about 4,000 tonnes for secondary processing.
Pant said the products for India will be developed by its
local R&D team with support from the company's global team.
On plans to export from India, he said, "Notas yet, we are taking one step at a time. We want to establish ourselves first in the Indian market, which is huge and isgrowing at 20-25 per cent a year."
Pant said to reach consumers in India, CP Foods is working with modern and general trade channel partners who will distribute its products.
"We are also in discussion with QSR (Quick Service Restaurants) chains in the country like KFC, McDonalds and others where you will see our products being distributed.
"InThailand, almost 100 per cent of KFC chicken comes from CP...Lotof it is supplied to McDonalds also," he added.
CP Foods claims to be the first poultry manufacturer in India to introduce 'air chiller technology' which is amethod of chilling dressed chicken which ensures freshness, food safety and longer shelf life.
