UK food & drink companies visit India looking to increase penetration

Back to News

UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) India, in partnership with UK India Business Council (UKIBC), is bringing a food and drink trade delegation to India.

The delegation of 15 companies brings speciality and innovative products from the North of England. The companies will visit Mumbai and Bangalore from January 19-22 exploring exporting opportunities in the Indian market.

The majority of the companies are visiting as part of the UK government’s Northern Powerhouse initiative. The project was launched by the British Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2014 with an aim to harness the economic power and energy of the region. The region encompasses major cities such as Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle with a strong food and drink heritage and manufacturing base, as well as some of the most exciting and dynamic brands in the world, from sports clubs like Manchester United and Liverpool Football Club to MediaCity at Salford.

UKTI Food and Drink Specialist and International Trade Adviser, Chris Jewitt will lead the delegation to India. The delegation includes seven companies from the North of England ranging from gourmet, fine food and raw ingredients, five beverages companies, a cold-chain clean tech company and a representative from the UK Food and Drink Exporters Association.

India is a growing market for UK businesses. Increasing globalisation, a large growing middle class and the growth of organized retail, have made the Indian market more accessible and attractive.

This mission has been designed to give participating businesses the best possible opportunity to secure contracts and/or develop partnerships in India.

Chris Jewitt said:

India is a growing market for UK businesses. Increasing globalisation, a large growing middle class and the growth of organised retail, have made the Indian market more accessible and attractive. While Indian consumers have shown a huge hunger for UK produce. This delegation is designed to showcase and increase awareness of specialities from a particular region of the UK and to give participating businesses the best possible opportunity to secure contracts and develop partnerships in India.

In Mumbai, the delegation will attend Images Food and Grocery Forum India’s (FGFI) conference and exhibition. At the conference the UK companies will meet Indian counterparts from the food and drink sector and explore avenues for collaborations and export. They will also visit major Indian stores such as Godrej Nature’s Basket and local convenience stores and liquor outlets. Godrej’s Nature Basket hosted a British food and drink festival last year in their stores across India showcasing select British products.

The delegation will then visit Bengaluru where the focus will be on ecommerce opportunities. They will visit the Bigbasket warehouse, India’s leading online food and Grocery Company, and Amrut Distilleries. The delegation will also interact with representatives from Amazon and Flipkart. This will enable both the UK and Indian companies to understand and discuss future partnerships and tap into India’s booming ecommerce industry. The UK has a long history of exporting and partnering with India, with companies like McVities, Twinings, Costa and Diageo cementing their presence in the domestic market here. The value of exports from the North East of England alone to India last year (Q4 2014 - Q3 2015) was £48.7 million. This visit by Northern English companies will strengthen business opportunities between both countries.

ov.uk