Nestlé is celebrating a century of engagement in a country which over that period has proven its potential to be one of Asia’s economic superpowers.

 

Nestlé’s first sales agents in India began work in Chennai and Kolkata in 1912. Today, the company directly employs 6,000 people in India and more than half a million indirectly. Its products are sold in more than 3.5 million outlets across the country.

 

Nestlé recorded sales of CHF 1.4 billion in India in 2010. Its most popular brands are Maggi, the country’s leader in instant noodles, and Nescafé instant coffee. Nandu Nandkishore, Nestlé’s EVP and Zone director for Asia, Oceania, Africa and the Middle East thinks there is much potential for further growth.

 

“India is a success story in the making,” Nandkishore says. “It has a large, progressive population. Consumers trust our products for their high quality. Opportunities will continue to grow as more and more people want to buy nutritious, branded food and beverages.”