Tata Chemicals looking for acquisitions

New Delhi, June 15: Tata Chemicals Ltd today said it is scouting for acquisition of new brands, which will help the company further tighten its grip on the market, dominated largely by its flagship brand Tata Salt.

''We are looking for acquisitions of new companies within the country, as it is also essential for our growth,'' Tata Chemicals' COO (Food Addictive Business) Satish Sohoni told reporters here at the launch ceremony of Tata Salt's new packaging and ad campaign.

Pointing out that Tata Salt holds 51 per cent in national branded segment and 23 per cent of the market share in overall iodised salt category, he said they will put more efforts to increase their growth in the salt segment and this ad campaign was one of such initiatives.

About the MRP and weight of the new salt packets, he said it would be a one kg pack and its MRP would remain same as is available in the market at present.

The company has introduced small 100 gm packs of Re 1 at some locations in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.

However, the company has no plans to come up with these small packs in metro cities.

The COO ruled out the possibility of launching bigger packs of one kg.

Mr Sohoni said the company's export brand 'Tata Topp', which was started six months ago, had received a good response from Singapore, Yemen and UAE.

Informing about the new Tata campaign ''Chutki Main Chamak-Tata Salt-Desh Ka Namak'', which lays key empasis on the health and vitality benefits, Tata Chemical Ltd Marketing Head Parag Gadre said, ''The new marketing initiatives from Tata Salt are an effort to reiterate the inherent quality attributes of the brand, while continuing to position it on an emotional platform.'' Established in 1939, Tata Chemicals Ltd, manufacturer of inorganic chemicals, fertilisers and food addictives, is part of Rs 80,000 crore Tata Group. It has an annual turnover of about Rs 4,000 crore.

UNI