New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra aims to increase its presence in the Indian dairy market through the establishment of "on the ground" leadership in the country.
Fonterra has appointed Hamish Gowans as general manager in India and announced plans to open its first office in the market in 2013.
Fonterra's president of Greater China and India, Kelvin Wickham, said the move would enable Fonterra to develop a deeper understanding of the Indian dairy sector.
"The country has a large, complex dairy industry and, while Fonterra has developed a strong knowledge of the country's dairy environment, it is clear we need to have dedicated leadership on the ground to further strengthen relationships and develop opportunities," he said.
Fonterra currently supplies dairy ingredients to Indian customers and the company will no doubt hope to leverage its existing relationships and distribution infrastructure in the country as it looks to "explore further opportunities" in the world's fastest growing dairy market.
