Ex-Godrej Consumer Products MD to launch F&B brand

Former Managing Director of Godrej Consumer Products, A. Mahendran, has always been passionate about the food and beverages (F&B)  business. He was at the forefront of Godrej's acquisition of confectionery company, Nutrine in 2006 and played a key role again in its joint venture with chocolate maker Hersheys. In fact, Mahendran also took a six per cent stake in the JV, which he sold when Godrej exited the business in 2006.

In his new avatar as a full-time entrepreneur, Mahendran plans to enter the food and beverages business yet again. He has set up Mahendran Holdings, which will soon launch a food, beverages and snack brand. "I have been working on it for the last six months and I will be announcing it soon," he says.

Mahendran does not divulge what sort of products he would be launching."My products will straddle both the premium and mass segments," he says.

The serial entrepreneur has just bought out the pest management company, ISS Hicare, along with India Value Fund. This was a brand he created during his stint at Godrej,

The creator of the mosquito repellent brand GoodKnight as well, Mahendran is now planning to scale up the Rs 70 crore Hicare business to Rs 350 crore in the next three to four years.

While pest management is a $12 billion business globally, in India it is hardly a Rs 1,000 crore business, with the only big organised player being PCI. "The awareness of pest management is good, but since there are few organized players the penetration is low. "Pest management services in most parts of the country are run by mom and pop local companies who often end up using unapproved chemicals," says Mahendran.

Mahendran's dream is to create another GoodKnight-like success story.