Ahmed Mills, one of the leading edible oil companies in the country has sought Maharashtra government's permission to restart production of Oomda vanaspati in Mumbai.
Rashid S Oomerbuoy, senior partner of Ahmed Mills said the company has written to the government to grant permission for producing vanaspati. The state government has stopped production of hydrogenated oil as the company was making hydrogen, a hazardous gas, within the factory. within the city.
The company will go in for production of hydrogenated oil, if the government permits us to buy hydrogen parcels from other companies, says Rashid Oomerbuoy.
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Ommerbuoy pointed out that Dalda and Oomda brands became generic to hydrogenated oils or vanaspati in the late 60s. Meanwhile the company is planning to extent Oomda brand by marketing refined vegetable oils.
The company which has come out of family squabbles has brought about massive re-engineering exercise of all its business operations.
Vineet Trakroo, marketing manager of Ahmed Mills said the company will soon launch `Sona' the refined sunflower oil throughout the country. ``The product is being targeted in the premium segment,'' he added. The company has already started marketing sunflower oil Sona in the southern states.
The company is now concentrating on relaunching its coconut oil `AO'. This will directly compete with HLL's Nihaar and Marico's Parachute coconut oil.
Meanwhile, Rashid S Oomerbuoy refuted claims of the company selling the flagship groundnut oil brand `Postman'. This brand has a market share of 20 per cent in the branded consumer packed edible oils category and in 1996-97 it recorded a growth of 15 per cent in volume terms, he added.
In the entire packed groundnut oil segment, Ahmed Mills enjoys 70 per cent of the market share followed by NDDB's Dhara.