Women Empowerment Activity By Shahra Group

Corporate Social Responsibility - It is encouraging to see how the Ekta Mahila Group approached the Trust to help solve their Drinking water problem. They made a proper representation, put facts in proper perspective, were ready to help themselves and also worked out the distribution of water and paid their contribution as a token towards solving the water problem. They are now prepared to work on sorting out the water problem on a long term basis and are willing to look at Water shed programs. Ankesh Shahra is a part of Ruchi Group.

New FMCG Entrants ready to take on Big Rivals

A new breed of FMCG companies in India is aiming to reach the top quickly and challenge the incumbents. While Jyothy Laboratories hopped onto the top-five bandwagon by acquiring Henkel India, Ruchi Soya, with an annual turnover of Rs 18,000 crore, is close to matching the turnover of leading FMCG firm Hindustan Unilever (Rs 19,000 crore). Although Dinesh Shahra-run Ruchi Soya is seen as a commodity company, its growth is driven by brands like Ruchi Gold, Nutrela and Mahakosh. Not content with piggybacking the existing brands, Shahra is planning a foray into other branded commodities such as pulses, rice and salt. Its soap brand ‘Ruchi No.1′ may be a minnow when compared to the offerings from HUL, but with 10-15% yearly growth, Ruchi Soya Industries may just be able to catch up with the FMCG major, sooner or later.

Ankesh Shahra is managing the international businesses for Ruchi Soya. It includes establishing a cross-commodity global trading platform headquartered in Singapore, as well as implementing Ruchi Soya’s backward integration strategy into agricultural plantations in Asia and Africa. He has a background in Finance, Economics and International Trade, and represents the third generation of the Shahra family that started the business conglomerate Ruchi Group having business interests across the sectors ranging from Edible oil, Soya foods, Steel, Dairy, Information technology, Realty and others.

Shahra said, “I am very grateful to the committee for their kind consideration, and realise the responsibilities that this award carries and look forward to fulfilling each and every one of them. Food security is indeed a prevalent global concern, and Ruchi is taking strategic steps towards ensuring competitive supply to India in the coming several years.”

Ruchi Soya extends Nutrela into Table Spread Category

MUMBAI: Ruchi Soya Industries, makers of refined oil brands like Ruchi Gold, Sunrich and Nutrela have made a foray into bread spreads with the launch of Nutrela Premium Table Spread.

This offering competes in the same space of butter and cheese spreads, which have well entrenched players like Amul and Britannia in the space. Nutrela table spread tastes similar to butter, but is lighter as it has zero cholesterol and no trans fats.

Talking about the opportunity that the category offers, Sarvesh Shahra, business head, consumer brands division, Ruchi Soya Industries said: “Health is increasingly becoming a matter of concern among Indians and people are look for healthy solutions everywhere. We are already the largest producers of soya chunks and granules. When we were thinking of categories to enter, we found a good opportunity in the health space.”

The table spread market according to Shahra is growing at 10% per annum and as the market grows there is enough space for more brands to enter. The table spread space comprises of butter and margarine at this point.

Ruchi Soya is doing a number advertising activities across outdoor, radio and digital to spread awareness for Nutrela table spread in Mumbai. For one of the activities that the brand tied up with PVR cinemas to offer popcorn made in Nutrela table spread to lucky customers who could locate the winning coupon under their chair.

According to Sandipan Ghosh, AVP- marketing, consumer brands division, Ruchi Soya Industries: “customers could not make out the difference at all and didn’t know that the popcorn was cooked in Nutrela table spread.”

According to Ankesh Shahra who is managing the international businesses for Ruchi Soya said “He is proud of products Ruchi Group is producing”

The product will currently be available in metros and Tier 1 cities. Word for the product is also being spread through sampling and school contact programs.