National
FritoLay’s Quaker Oats hits the market
FritoLay has come up with 'Quaker Oats', its grand addition to the nutritious
breakfast cereal segment. Quaker is a 125-year-old company and the largest
oats brand in the world. For health-conscious consumers, FritoLay’s Quaker
Oats is an ideal breakfast option as it offers a diet rich in fibre and provides
sustained energy. Moreover, the product lowers cholesterol levels and reduces
the risk of cardiac ailments.
Commenting on the new product, Sucheta Govil, Marketing Director,
FritoLay India, said, "Over the past few years, the urban Indian consumer has
become more aware of an ideal diet as well as an active lifestyle. It has been
FritoLay's endeavour to provide its consumers with a variety of choices and that
meets the needs of today's consumer. The launch of the whole grain food,
Quaker Oats, in India addresses this rapidly growing health trend." Interestingly, Quaker uses top-quality
oats grown and processed in Western Australia, which keeps its nutritional content, taste, aroma and
flavour intact and enables faster and easier cooking as compared to other oats brands in the market.
Quaker Oats is available in select outlets in Delhi, Chandigarh, Pune, Goa, Ahmedabad and Baroda.
These are priced at Rs 25 and Rs 48 for 200 g and 400 g respectively.
Wheat and sugar imports
made easier
To arrest spiralling prices, Finance Minister
P Chidambaram has announced a slew of
measures, including wheat and pulses
imports by the private sector and sugar
imports under easier terms. He said that
wheat, sugar and pulses rates were mainly
responsible for the rise in prices. "The
private sector will also be allowed to
import wheat," Mr Chidambaram
announced. It may be noted that traders
have been demanding wheat imports by
actual users like flour millers, bread and
biscuit makers at lower duty. Currently,
wheat imports are allowed at 60 per cent
duty, which according to traders is
not feasible.
The government recently floated
tenders for the import of 2.2 million tonnes
of wheat and has received bids for the
supply of about three million tonnes. It has
also awarded contracts for the import of 1.2
million tonnes of wheat, mainly to augment
government stocks. But the measures have
so far failed to bring down the prices.
Likewise, despite a huge sugar output, the
government has also allowed sugar imports
at easier duties under the tariff-rate quota
to stem high sugar prices. Mr Chidambaram
said that private firms would be allowed to
import pulses at zero duty.
Papa John's enters
India
Papa John's, the US-based pizza chain and
the world's third-largest pizza chain (in
terms of sales) has launched its first outlet
in India. It plans to open three others the
current year and a total of 100 in next 11
years. "The middle-class here is growing at
a fast rate and this is the right time for us
to enter the Indian market. We have a
target of setting up three more outlets this
year in northern India," said Nigel Travis,
Papa John's International Chief Executive.
Papa John's has named an Indian fast food
company as its franchisee. It has already
opened two outlets in the New Delhi
suburb of Noida. This Louisville-based
company is further eyeing expansion of its
global operations and has identified the
Mexican, British, South Korean, Chinese,
Indian and Russian markets for this move,
confirmed Mr Travis.
