French fragrances maker Mane to expand capacity, R&D in Hyd

Hyderabad: Smelling an opportunity in the growing Indian market for flavours and fragrances, French flavours and fragrances manufacturer V

Mane

FILS is expanding its manufacturing and R&D presence in India, including at its India headquarters of Hyderabad.

This includes setting up of a new 5,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) plant for liquid fragrances and flavours at Dahej, Gujarat, and enhancing capacity for powder flavours and seasonings as well as setting up a dedicated flavours R&D facility at Hyderabad at a total investment of $18 million, Sumit Dasgupta, managing director, Mane India Pvt Ltd, told TOI. The company has its fragrances R&D facility at Mumbai and has an in-house flavours R&D at its Dundigal plant in Hyderabad.

“We are shifting our entire liquids capacity of 1,200 tpa from Hyderabad to Dahej, where our greenfield plant is coming up with a 3,000 tpa fragrances and 2,000 tpa flavours capacity and will go onstream next year. As far as our Hyderabad plant goes, we are looking to move out of the 2.5-acre Dundigal campus to a bigger 4-acre campus in and around Hyderabad for which we are scouting for options,” Dasgupta said, adding that the existing 900 tpa powder seasonings capacity in Hyderabad will double to around 2,000 tpa at the proposed new plant.

Elaborating on plans for the dedicated flavours R&D facility, Dasgupta said the existing R&D centre will move out of Dundigal to swankier and bigger premises in the city’s IT corridor and double from the existing 4500 sq ft to 10,000 sq ft.

“We are scouting for space for the R&D centre, which will grow from the existing headcount of around 37 to about 50 food technologists, flavourists and sensory experts. We will also be adding a lot more equipment and dedicated labs for various verticals,” Dasgupta pointed out.

The French major, which entered India in 2003 through its Indian subsidiary Mane India Pvt Ltd, set up flavours and fragrances manufacturing and R&D at Dundigal. Today, it caters to FMCG players across segments such as personal care, food & beverage, dairy, confectionary, bakery, nutrition and tea and coffee, among others.