2. Coca-Cola India is forming a new division
dedicated to juices for the first time.
Focus on health beverages to offset a possible
slowdown in its core fizzy drinks.
Coca-Cola has two juice drinks – Maaza and
Minute Maid.
This category is dominated by three players:
Dabur’s Activ, PepsiCo’s Tropicana and recent
entrant Parle Agro’s Saint.
3. Pure juices are sold as products that do not
contain added sugar, colour or preservatives.
Coca-Cola’s mango juice-based drink Maaza
leads overall Rs 600 crore juice category.
Its Minute Maid brand has been slowing-down.
Other significant players in juice drinks include
Parle Agro’s mainstay brand Frooti and PepsiCo’s
Slice.
4. McCormick is Global leader in manufacture-
marketing of spices, herbs and seasonings.
McCormick has bought 26% stake in Eastern
Condiments (ECPL). ECPL is a major Indian
spices and seasonings dealer.
McCormick has bought this stake for $36
million.
5. US-based Life Technologies, the maker of
instruments and reagents used in biotech
research and diagnosis, is buying a part of its
local distributor LabIndia.
Around 100 employees of LabIndia will join Life
Technologies. Company’s projected revenue is to
touch $50 million by December 2012.
Life Technologies is $3.3-billion company with
employees around 9,000 globally. It was formed
with the acquisition of Applied Biosystems Group
by Invitrogen Corporation in 2008.
6. Philips India has emerged as the front-runner
to acquire a controlling stake in lightings
maker Halonix (formerly Phoenix Lamps).
Philips India will acquire Halonix from private
equity fund Actis for around Rs 300 crore.
Actis owns 66% of Halonix and if the sale goes
through, Philips will have to make an open
offer to buy 20% additional shares from other
shareholders.
7. The lighting business is crucial for Philips
as it generates 35% of its Rs 2,700-crore
turnover, much more than its consumer
products and healthcare divisions.
The Rs 7,170-crore lighting industry is
growing annually at 12%.
