2. McCormick buys 26% in ECPL
• Global leader in manufacture-marketing of spices,
herbs and seasonings McCormick has bought 26%
stake in Eastern Condiments (ECPL), a major Indian
spices and seasonings dealer , for $36 million
• The partnership between the two brings the latest
technology in spice supply chain management,
manufacture and innovative new product platforms
into India.
• McCormick will also help ECPL grow in the authentic
Indian cuisine segment in the US and other western
markets
3. Emami to invest Rs 950 cr in its edible
oil business
• Emami Biotech set up in 2006 to manufacture bio-
diesel from Jatropha, Emami Biotech, is, however,
presently focusing on edible oils as it is facing some
regulatory issues in bio-fuel
• Emami Group has earmarked Rs 950 crore over the
next two years for the purpose, even as it is looking at
a national roll-out of its Healthy & Tasty oil brand
• The company currently produces 1,600 tonnes per day
(tpd) of edible oils such as palm, soya, mustard,
blended and sunflower. It plans to expand its capacity
to 3,000 tpd over the next two years
4. Yum! to invest $100mn to triple
number of restaurants in India
• Yum! Restaurants India, the operator of the Pizza Hut ,
KFC and Taco Bell restaurant chains, it will invest USD
100 million to more than treble the number of eateries
it operates across the country to 1,000 by 2015.
• Total restaurants planned, about half would be KFC
outlets.
• Currently, Yum! Restaurants India operates around 300
restaurants across India, most of them under the 'Pizza
Hut' and 'KFC' banners.
• Recently, the company introduced Mexican fast food
brand 'Taco Bell' in Bangalore
5. Unilever plans green drive
• Hindustan Unilever has chalked out an ambitious
plan to halve greenhouse gas emissions waste
production and water usage by the company and
its suppliers, and source all its agricultural
supplies such as tea and palm oil from
sustainable sources by 2020 .As the manufacturer
of Surf detergent and Lakme cosmetics it
launched the Unilever sustainable living plan
across the world
• It is a 10-year plan and sets out over 50 social,
economic and environmental targets
6. Airtel launches new brand identity in
Africa; replaces Zain
• Telecom giant Bharti, which had acquired Zain Telecom''s
operations in Africa launched its brand "airtel" in 16 countries in the
continent replacing the Zain brand.
• The ZAP mobile money service will be re-branded Airtel Money
with immediate effect. As part of the new brand launch, airtel also
announced the launch of a new ultra low cost handset package
which effectively provides a mobile phone free of charge to all new
subscribers.
• The package, launched in conjunction with Nokia, will be priced at
approx NGN 3,500 (USD 23) and includes a brand new Nokia 1280
mobile phone, a free SIM card and the equivalent value in free
airtel talk time and SMS text messages. In the past four months
airtel has already made tariff interventions in 11 of its 16 markets in
Africa for the benefit of its customers.
