Barry Callebaut ponders India factory

28-Sep-2014 - Last updated on 29-Sep-2014 at 11:46 GMT

Barry Callebaut weighs up manufacturing base in India

Barry Callebaut is considering establishing manufacturing capacity in India.

The company has been active in the market since 2008 when it opened a sales office and chocolate academy center in Mumai.

“Our management already stated in the past that India is an interesting market and that it is - still - a white spot when it comes to our manufacturing footprint,” Raphael Wermuth, head of media relations at Barry Callebaut told ConfectioneryNews.

“We are currently looking into how to potentially extend our manufacturing footprint there. However, at this point in time, we cannot comment further on this.”

India’s chocolate market has been growing at an annual compound growth rate (CAGR) of 15% in the last three years to reach INR 52bn ($851m) in fiscal 2014, according to ValueNotes. The market is expected to grow at CAGR of 16% over the next five years to reach INR 122bn ($2bn) by fiscal 2019.

Barry Callebaut is currently fighting a case against the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) after a large consignment of its products was rejected by the authority following changes to food regulations.