Tata Coffee mulls brand acquisitions Mumbai-- Tata Coffee, which recently picked up a 34.3 per cent stake in Barista Coffee for Rs 26 crore, is open to more such acquisitions, according to the company's managing director, M H Ashraff.
Outlining the plans of the company, he said that going national and increasing presence in the Northern part of the country was definitely on the cards.
Tata Coffee’s current brand portfolio includes Tata Coorg Double Roast, Tata Coorg Coffee, Tata Cafe and Tata Kaapi.
The company is also looking at expanding its production capacity. It currently has more than 7,000 hectares under coffee and recently bought a large coffee plantation in Coorg for Rs 32 crore.
Some time ago, US coffee retail chain Starbucks had e-mailed Tata Coffee seeking blends from the company. Tata Coffee then sent product samples to Starbucks. Though Tata Coffee has not heard from Starbucks since, it may one day strike an alliance with Starbucks.
Meanwhile, Tata Coffee's marketing network has been merged with that of Tata Tea. The two companies now have one national marketing organisation and Tata Tea now does Tata Coffee’s branding, sales and distribution. Ashraff added that Tata Coffee had forayed into vending machine operations. Tata Coffee plans to expand from the current 1,600 machines to 4,000 by the end of this year.
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Coke India no longer parent’s blue-eyed boy
New Delhi—Coca-Cola India is no longer the blue-eyed boy of parent company the Atlanta-based Coca Cola Corp.
This follows recent reports of restructuring in the company’s top brass in the Atlanta headquarters and that Indian subsidiary had been downgraded.
Now another layer has been added that will act as a buffer between the president and chief operating officer of the Asia group and the CEO of the India group, in order that the parent keep a close eye on Indian operations. Until now, the head of India group was directly reporting to the president and COO of Asia.
Patrick Siewert, a recent entrant into the company, will now be in charge of the East and Southeast Asia group, including India. Moreover, from September, Coca-Cola India CEO Alex Von Behr would report to him.
Siewert, in turn, would report to Mary E Minnick, recently appointed as the president and chief operating officer in place of Sandy Allan, who takes over as president and chief operating officer Europe, Eurasia and Middle East group.
There have also been some quick changes in the Indian corporate headquarters of the company in Gurgaon.
Two top-level directors, Abraham Ninan and Amit Oberoi, are slated to move over to Nigeria and Singapore, respectively, while Atul Singh, vice-president and chief of franchisee-owned bottling operations, is scheduled to join the top brass in China.
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Zee moves into fast food market
Ahmedabad—Even as Amul takes on international pizza brands, Zee, the entertainment major, is jumping on the fast food bandwagon with branded samosas, chaats, idlis and other desi cuisine.
Recently the Zee group launched Indiyum, a fast food retail brand, initially available at its E-City Entertainment complexes and later, through general outlets. E-city is coming up with a network of 14 Family Entertainment Centres (FEC) in 12 different cities across the country, with an investment of over Rs 540 crore.
A top Zee official said that in house surveys of the company revealed that there was a vacuum as far as branded Indian fast food is concerned. There are MNC fast food chains, but none offer Indian fast foods, limiting the options available to the consumers. Hence the company thought of creating a global Indian vegetarian fast food brand.
The company has hired Mumbai-based Concept Hospitality services and is standardising the recipes, the style of service and management at the moment.
Indiyum has chole bature, samosas, idli, paav-bhaaji, parantha, dosa and kulfi on its menu at present and will add other items like chaat, and vadas later to it.
The first Indiyum outlet has been opened at Ahmedabad. The company also plans to open retail outlets of Indiyum later.
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Dhoots to rope in strategic partner for entertainment foray
Mumbai--The Videocon group has decided to bring in a strategic ally for its entertainment business.
The group plans to bring its entertainment multiplexes, film studios and its Hindi film production business under a new company called Videocon Entertainment.
Anirudh Dhoot, manager (marketing and sales), Videocon International and head of the entertainment business said, the company would divest some stake in favour of a strategic partner in our entertainment business but would hold the controlling stake of 51 percent.
Dhoot said, the theme parks, multiplexes and film production will be divisions of Videocon Entertainment, but depending upon the partner's strength, focus and interest, Videocon would hive off the divisions into separate companies and rope in different companies/partners for the divisions.
On the cards is multiplex theatres to be set up in Thane, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, which will house eight screens for movies, Dhoot said.
The group may also explore the possibility of converting its plant premises into multiplex theatres. Another location would be Salt Lake City in Calcutta. It may be recalled that Videocon had bought the consumer electronics factory at Salt Lake from Philips India. The group is also in talks with Singapore-listed Warner Village for a strategic alliance to set up family entertainment centres and multiplexes.
In the case of film production, Videocon will produce two-three movies each year. It is negotiating with production companies such as Boney Kapoor Productions, Pritish Nandy Communications and K C Bokadia Productions to produce their forthcoming movies.
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Commerce One to exit India
New Delhi-- Commerce One, among the world’s largest B2B ecommerce players, is on the verge of withdrawing from the Indian market. Uncertainty shrouds the company’s presence in India and insiders say that Commerce One has been having serious payment problems with C1 India, the resellers and distributors for Commerce One in the country.
Commerce One’s country manager Charles Schult has been recalled from India with effect from August 1.
Interestingly, C1 India Pvt Ltd, which is Commerce One’s representative in India, is owned by different investors, with no equity stake of Commerce One.
Commerce One will be the second major B2B player to teeter on the brink of exiting India, apart from Ariba, which reportedly, is also on the threshold of quitting India.
Commerce One had a small presence in India and operated through a small staff overlooking the operations of its resellers. With all of them gone, it is anyone’s guess as to which way the Commerce One operations in India are headed.
Sources added it was not clear whether Commerce One would completely exit the Indian market or end its dependence on C1 India Pvt Ltd and go in for a wholly-owned subsidiary.
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