By Shailesh Yadav
New Delhi [India], August 10 : Even as the West Asia crisis continues to disrupt global trade and supply chains, Allana Consumer Products Limited (ACPL) has found an unlikely silver lining, with its food export business recording strong growth over the past few months, according to Managing Director Manish Bandlish.
"The West Asia crisis has impacted most companies and industries in some way or the other. But in the past few months since it erupted, our food business has not been impacted much. Actually, we have seen a positive traction," Bandlish said, explaining that panic-driven stockpiling during conflict situations tends to boost demand for essential food items.
In an exclusive interview to ANI, Bandlish said the company's frozen fruits and vegetables business is growing upwards of 30 per cent, while its coffee exports are also posting healthy numbers. "Our sourcing is very strong, so we have been able to service our customers to a very large extent," he said.
ACPL is the second-largest exporter of green coffee beans from India, shipping to more than 40 countries worldwide. Its frozen fruit and vegetable portfolio, similarly, reaches over 40 countries. The company also exports pet food, largely to the US and Europe, which Bandlish described as a strong and steadily growing line of business.
On the company's overall financial trajectory, Bandlish noted that ACPL grew around 12 per cent year-on-year in revenue last fiscal, and is on track for an even better performance in the current quarter. "It's a good, healthy business for us," he said.
The crisis has not been without its challenges, however. Bandlish said freight costs have risen three to four times across sectors globally over the last three to four months, compounded by a shortage of containers and ships. "Wherever the ship was going in, let's say, 10 days, now it is taking 20 to 30 days," he said, adding that the resulting disruption has strained supply chains worldwide, though ACPL has managed to stay largely insulated due to its robust sourcing network.
Bandlish also flagged pet nutrition as a high-potential segment, noting a sharp rise in pet ownership in India since the COVID-19 pandemic. India is now home to more than 3.5 crore pets, with ownership growing at 11-12 per cent annually. The domestic pet food market, currently valued at over Rs 6,000 crore, is drawing growing interest from companies nationwide. ACPL entered the space around eighteen months ago with two brands, Bowlers for dogs and Purrfeto for cats, and plans to scale both significantly in the coming years.
Looking ahead, Bandlish laid out an ambitious roadmap to reach Rs 4,000 crore in revenue over the next three years, driven by expansion across the company's diverse business lines. This includes a push into value-added coffee products, new offerings under its bakery division, and an entry into the French fries segment within its fruits and vegetables business.
The company is also open to acquisitions and capacity expansions, including greenfield projects, and is preparing to launch "Home Fresh," a new brand offering a full range of frozen products for the domestic market. A world-class pet food manufacturing plant near Zahirabad, close to Hyderabad, is also set to expand ACPL's pet food range in India.
Bandlish said the group, long known for its manufacturing strength and adherence to global quality standards, is now recalibrating its strategy to build stronger consumer-facing brands. "We'll be launching a slew of brands that would really help us take our consumer-facing business to the next level," he said, adding that the company has committed approximately Rs 500 crore in capital expenditure over the next couple of years, primarily toward its fruits and vegetables and coffee businesses.
On its premium ice cream brand, London Dairy, currently manufactured out of Dubai, Bandlish said the company would continue exporting from its existing base for the next year or two, gradually expanding into smaller Indian towns as demand develops, given the brand's premium positioning.
Allana Consumer Products Limited operates across multiple categories, including frozen fruits and vegetables under brands such as Allana, Premier, Zain, and Delmon, bakery products under Pristine, premium ice cream under London Dairy, and pet food under Bowlers and Purrfeto, alongside its frozen food brand, Home Fresh.