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UAE's Emke Group plans food-processing unit in India
Thursday, 13 March 2003, 20:30 IST
NEW DELHI: United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Emke Group is planning to increase imports of Indian vegetables and fruits to the Middle East and set up a food processing plant in Uttar Pradesh as part of its expansion plans.
"We see good potential for increasing export of fresh Indian vegetables and fruits to the Middle East and venturing into processed potatoes and vegetables for exports," Emke Group managing director Yousaf Ali M.A. told IANS.
"The land for setting up a potato processing factory has already been acquired and we are in the process of finalising technical collaboration with an Italian company."
Yousaf, a Kerala-born expatriate, is here to attend a food-processing exhibition and hear global experts at the first international meet on potato.
"We are planning 
100 million investment in our Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh) unit, which will be a 100 percent export unit and will cater to demand mainly from the Middle East. It will also target Europe," said Yousaf.
Starting off with potato products like frozen French fries and chips, the unit will manufacture frozen peas and later add frozen mixed vegetables.
Dealing in a diverse range of products and activities ranging from meat processing, computer software products and garment manufacturing, Emke Group has operational bases in India, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Kenya, Tanzania, Spain and Middle East countries such as Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.
In the UAE, it has one of the largest chains of supermarkets, hypermarkets and specialty stores, besides manufacturing units, trading establishments and IT training institutes.
The group prides itself on having around 8,000 Indians on its rolls.
"Catering to the increasing demand for Indian vegetables, we are planning to double our exports and set up offices in New Delhi and Mumbai to handle daily consignments," Yousaf said.
The company also has meat-processing units in India near New Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi in Kerala with a turnover of 2 billion, annually handling exports of around 20,000 metric tonnes of meat and meat products to the Middle East.
"At present around four to five metric tonnes of vegetables are exported daily from our Kochi office to UAE and other Middle East destinations."
Undeterred by the war clouds hovering over Iraq, Yousaf is firming up plans to add 10 more hypermarkets in UAE and Oman within a year.
Source: IANS
100 million investment in our Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh) unit, which will be a 100 percent export unit and will cater to demand mainly from the Middle East. It will also target Europe," said Yousaf.
Starting off with potato products like frozen French fries and chips, the unit will manufacture frozen peas and later add frozen mixed vegetables.
Dealing in a diverse range of products and activities ranging from meat processing, computer software products and garment manufacturing, Emke Group has operational bases in India, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Kenya, Tanzania, Spain and Middle East countries such as Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.
In the UAE, it has one of the largest chains of supermarkets, hypermarkets and specialty stores, besides manufacturing units, trading establishments and IT training institutes.
The group prides itself on having around 8,000 Indians on its rolls.
"Catering to the increasing demand for Indian vegetables, we are planning to double our exports and set up offices in New Delhi and Mumbai to handle daily consignments," Yousaf said.
The company also has meat-processing units in India near New Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi in Kerala with a turnover of 2 billion, annually handling exports of around 20,000 metric tonnes of meat and meat products to the Middle East.
"At present around four to five metric tonnes of vegetables are exported daily from our Kochi office to UAE and other Middle East destinations."
Undeterred by the war clouds hovering over Iraq, Yousaf is firming up plans to add 10 more hypermarkets in UAE and Oman within a year.
Source: IANS