Malaysian natural sweetener provider PureCircle is planning to invest in stevia leaf cultivation in India over the next five years.
The company plans to collaborate with thousands of Indian farmers in a bid to plant 5,000 hectares of stevia and finally establish a stevia processing facility in the country.
PureCircle Group Sales and Marketing president Jason Hecker said: "Our investment in India signals the huge potential we see in this market for stevia as a sweetener and as an agricultural commodity.
"We believe this plant can not only help farmers in the region earn extra income, but also help to naturally reduce calories for Indian consumers while maintaining the sweet tastes they want."
India's acceptance of stevia leaf extract as a natural sweetener has facilitated PureCircle to make new investments in the country.
This is part of the company's current commitment to the PureCircle Stevia Agronomy Programme, as well as to working directly with farmers.
PureCircle South Asia Region senior director Ajay Chandran said: "Stevia, also called Meethi Tulsi and Meethi Patti by Indian farmers, is the perfect ingredient for India due to its natural and herbal origins.
"Across the globe, PureCircle's portfolio of innovative stevia sweeteners and flavours has enabled major brands to reformulate full sugar products with this natural, zero-calorie solution to address consumer demands.
"We feel confident that stevia's approval in India will lead to new, lower calorie taste innovation for this market and help consumers significantly reduce their sweet calorie intake."
The Stevia Agronomy Programme not only teaches Indian farmers to grow the plant but also provides a contract stating a fixed priced for the cultivated stevia.
Agricultural trials are already being conducted in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.
