Wadia-Danone row: Govt to examine claim

The government today said it would examine a complaint by the Mumbai-based textile-to-food conglomerate Wadia group against Groupe Danone, its French joint venture partner in Britannia Industries Ltd.

Industry Secretary Ajay Dua confirmed that the government had received a letter from the Wadias alleging that Danone had violated the norms of Press Note 1, 2005, which specify that new proposals for foreign investments require prior approval of the government in cases where the foreign investor has an existing joint venture agreement with an Indian company in the "same" field.

"A final view will be taken after carefully examining the allegation," Dua said on the sidelines of a seminar organised by industry body Assocham.