Pune-based Kutwal Foods Pvt Ltd, which manufactures processed liquid milk, milk products, soft drinks and packaged drinking water under the brand name Urja, launched My Urja, a retail format that would house Urja's entire range of products.
This was announced by Prakash Kutwal, chairman, Kutwal Foods Private Limited at a press conference in the city. Ram Kutwal, managing director, Kutwal Foods, was also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Prakash Kutwal said, “We are happy to introduce our all new retail venture My Urja, which would act as a separate business vertical of Kutwal Foods and is very much in sync with our expansion plans”.
He said, “Here, we have developed a model considering the taste of a modern Indian and on the lines of a neighbourhood store. We would be looking at setting up a chain of My Urja through franchise model.”
“All the Urja products, including milk, ghee, shrikhand, amrakhand, flavoured milk, paneer, curd, lassi, masala buttermilk, soda, packaged drinking water, cold drinks and fruit drinks would be available under one roof,” Prakash Kutwal added.
While describing the salient features of myUrja, Ram Kutwal said, “The look and feel of the My Urja outlet would be contemporary and vibrant, the supplies to the outlets would directly come from the factory avoiding any big storage or transit delays, thus the customer can look for fresh stock at the outlets.”
“The My Urja outlets would have the infrastructure and equipment to ensure that all products are stored in the temperature ideally suited for them as per the government guidelines, which would surely help in maintaining the quality and the shelf life of the products,” he informed.
Under the special franchisee training programme, the franchisor Kutwal Foods would train the staff at the My Urja outlets to offer prompt service to customers, so that buying Urja products also becomes a delightful experience.
The company is planning to have at least 50 My Urja outlets by March 31, 2013. Most of them are existing dealers of Urja products, who have shown willingness to switch to the My Urja format.
The first two My Urja outlets have already come up at Dhankawadi and Ganj Peth. Kutwal Foods has set the target of establishing a chain of over 500-plus My Urja outlets in the state of Maharashtra in the next two years.
According to Kutwal, once this chain of about 500-plus exclusive retail outlets would be established, it would create direct/indirect employment for about 3,000-plus individuals. The company is planning to invest around Rs 20 crore in the next two years towards the expansion of production capacity and for the brand promotion.
The company’s turnover is likely to touch Rs 55 crore in the current financial year, which is a substantial increase as compared to the Rs 40-crore turnover of financial year 2011-12. With its expansion plans right on track, Kutwal Foods is aiming at touching the Rs 100 crore-mark by 2014-15.
