Nitta Gelatin India Limited (NGIL), a joint venture between Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) and Nitta Gelatin Inc of Japan, plans to launch new products in the current financial year. The new specialised products are targeted at those with osteoporosis, sportspersons and dancers.
NGIL said it had started to reach customers directly by making the products available online and has revamped the website to make it more consumer friendly and interactive. It expects to close the fiscal of 2011-12 with a turnover of around Rs 250 crore.
The company has also planned to launch Gelixer Collagen Pep, a nutritional supplement for bone and joint health, now available in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, in Karnataka soon.
Addressing a press conference here, G Suseelan, managing director, NGIL, said the last six months had been a tough period for the company, since raw material costs increased substantially.
Supplies of crushed bones and hydrochloric acid, which are the basic raw material for producing gelatin, were erratic and this impacted production. The material prices have now stabilised and the production was progressing as planned, he said.
According to the company, it is one of the few government-promoted companies in India to foray into consumer marketing by launching OTC products. "This shift of strategy from B2B to B2C has given us a thorough understanding of the dynamics of marketing and consumer perception and behavior," he said.
A new manufacturing facility of the company is coming up at Aroor in Allappuzha district. "Trial production of gelatin from fish scales has commenced here. We see a niche potential for fish gelatin in the export market. Ossein and DCP are doing well along with Nutri Gold and Chitosan," he added.
On the issues at its Koratty factory in Thrissur district, Suseelan said the company was making efforts to make the environment congenial for all the people living near the factory.
