Britannia Industries and Bel Group invest in joint venture in India

Delhi (IN) | Suresnes (FR). (bel) Britannia Industries Limited (BIL), India’s leading food company, and France’s Bel Group, European cheese manufacturer and major player in the healthy snacks segment, announced that they have signed an agreement to form a joint venture to bring a range of world-class cheese products to Indian consumers. For this, Bel will acquire a 49 percent stake in BDPL (Britannia Dairy Private Limited), a wholly owned subsidiary of BIL. The entity will subsequently be renamed «Britannia Bel Foods Private Limited».

By joining forces through the JV, the Bel Group and Britannia will be best placed to accelerate the development of the emerging cheese market in India through the strategic complementarity of the two companies. Britannia Industries will hold 51 percent stake in the JV while Groupe Bel will hold 49 percent stake.

Britannia Industries is a century old company that is the market leader in the Indian bakery industry with an annual turnover of 140 billion rupees. The company operates in two main categories of snacks: Bakery and Dairy, with renowned and iconic brands such as Good Day, Marie Gold, Milk Bikis and Nutrichoice. Britannia’s products are available in around 80 countries. The company manufactures its products in nearly 100 factories, which are available in over 6 million outlets, reaching 180 million households across the country. The company’s vision is to become a global whole food company, delighting consumers with delicious, nutritious and healthy snacks and beverages throughout the day.

Unibel, a family-owned company, is the managing holding company of Bel Group, one of the world’s leading branded cheese companies and a major player in the healthy snacks segment. With its differentiated and internationally focused product portfolio, the company could generate sales of EUR 3.38 billion by 2021. 11,800 employees in around 40 offices worldwide help to carry forward the group’s mission. The company’s products are manufactured in 29 production facilities and distributed in almost 120 countries.