The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, owner of Amul brand, said on Thursday it aims to reposition itself in the Rs 2,000-crore (Rs 20-billion) chocolate market.
"We are planning to introduce larger packs of chocolate in the premium 150 gm size in the near future. We were not in this segment of the market," GCMMF General Manager (planning & marketing) Jayen Mehta said in Kolkata.
Amul, currently with 41 products in its basket, had chocolate for the last two decades, but never posed threat to leaders like Cadbury and Nestle.
The company was trying to revamp its strategies for the segment for a larger share of the market which was insignificant currently, Mehta said during the launch of malt beverage PRO in eastern India.
Amul has four to five variants at different price points from Rs 5 to Rs 30, but it is now aiming to target the premium market at a price close to Rs 90.
The growing demand in the eastern region has also helped the company to think about a manufacturing facility in West Bengal.
"The demand growth is 6 per cent and supply 2 per cent.
"The gap of four per cent definitely encourages us to have a plant here, but there is no concrete plan as of now," GCMMF GM (east) Manoranjan Pani said.
The Eastern region contributed Rs 1,800 crore (Rs 18 billion) of about Rs 12,000 crore (Rs 120 billion) turnover of Amul in 2011-12.
Amul was expecting Rs 2,400 crore (Rs 24 billion) in the current fiscal backed by growth in demand and new products including Misti Doi.
Image: An Amul ad. | Photograph: Amul website
