| Following in the footsteps of its parent company, the Rs 1,260-crore ATFL, with a dominant market position in the edible oils and branded food sector in the country, has set up a separate business division for food service operations. Incidentally, ConAgra Foods Inc of USA grosses an annual turnover of $3.9 billion from food service operations. |
| According to ATFL vice-president (commodity sourcing and exports) Madhusudhan Manvi, Lamb Weston, another ConAgra company, will be assisting ATFL in food service operations. Lamb Weston, one of the world's leading processors and suppliers of frozen potato products with a turnover of $1.5 billion, has already started test marketing of its products in India. |
| ATFL is sourcing frozen potato products from Lamb Weston and is involved in its institutional sales across India to leading hotel chains, quick service restaurants, airways etc. |
| Manvi told Business Standard that the booming IT and ITeS sector, and the growing hospitality and tourism industry in the country had driven ATFL to enter the food service sector. |
| "In three years' time, we are expecting to do a business of about Rs 50 crore in this segment," he said, adding that the organised food service market in India was estimated to be around Rs 500 crore. |
| ATFL, which launched frozen green peas in the Indian market a fortnight ago, will be coming out with a range of tomato products in a month's span. The tomato products would be marketed under the 'Healthy World' brand. |
| In the past few years, ATFL has launched a host of packaged food products under the parent ConAgra's well-known brand Act II (popcorn) and Healthy World. The company's branded foods segment is also undertaking several new initiatives in the area of ready-to-eat snack foods and vending of popcorn. |
| "We are focusing on the value-added segment, which would be profitable and sustainable in the long run," Manvi said. |
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