Manjilas to put Rs 10 cr in food park

Company setting up food park near Thrissur.

The Kerala-based Manjilas Group, makers of the Double Horse brand of instant mix rice and rice-derived products, has lined up Rs 10 crore for an integrated food park near Thrissur in the state.

Talking to Business Standard, Renji John, chairman and managing director of the Manjilas Group, said, "by establishing a Rs 10-crore food park, we intend to bring our different production units under one umbrella. We hope to develop new products by utilising the common facilities of the park."

For the current fiscal, the group has set a target of Rs 100 crore turnover. It aims at a three-fold growth next year and 10-fold in three years. "To meet the increasing growth plans, we have already charted out major expansion plans," added John.

Manjilas intends to expand the presence of its food product brands in high-potential markets outside India too.

"Currently, the company is marketing its products to 22 countries and plans to cover another 75 countries soon. Research too is on to bring in all the traditional food items in instant mix or ready-to-eat format. Extensive campaigns to raise brand awareness for products are also being envisaged," he said.

This apart, the company would increase the number of its outlets to 50 from the existing 25, this year.

"We now have processing units at Thrissur and Palakkad in Kerala, Puducherry and at Shimoga in Karnataka. We will open new units in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh soon," he said.

On the company's slow growth, the CMD said the Manjilas Group, which was the first company to launch branded, stoneless and sorted rice in the Kerala market, had been growing at a slow pace as it had not set any specific goal or target at that time.

"Our focus now will be the young generation because it is through them that every tradition is kept alive," John said, adding they would work towards making Double Horse one of the top 10 brands in the country in the near future. The group had recently spruced up its R&D division.