PM's 'local' appeal pivotal for future of homegrown firms: Nadia Chauhan

In an exclusive interview with , Nadia Chauhan, Joint Managing Director and CMO, Parle Agro, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's encouragement and appeal to consider products manufactured by Indian companies will prove to be a pivotal point for the future of homegrown companies.

Chauhan said that the unprecedented blanket restriction on movement and adherence to safety measures have not only made e-commerce the go-to channel for consumers to purchase what they need, but have also accelerated the e-commerce category in a massive way.

She said while the universe of outlets for FMCG products in India is over 10 million, today there are only 10,000-15,000 outlets that are actively operating and are accessible.

While the FMCG sector has been more resilient, Chauhan said that business at large has been impacted due to the closure of a number of retail outlets.

Among the issues in the supply chain, Chauhan pointed out that reduced labour force is one of them since many have migrated to their hometowns and there are restrictions on the movement of people across states and towns.

"However, the main issue continues to be the closure of retail stores, which are our main consumption points. Retail outlets need to reopen for us to boost consumption and restart businesses," Chauhan told .

Here the excerpts from the interview:

Q: What are your views on "vocal for local" campaign and how does it stand to boost Indian brands?

A: We at Parle Agro have always demonstrated the eternal sense of pride being a wholly Indian company from the very beginning. That quality has always been reflected in the iconic brands that we have built from scratch. Whether it was back then when we owned Thums Up or today when we have re-built our business with Frooti, Appy, Appy Fizz and Bailley, we are four generations of Ind.

Our founder Jayantilal Chauhan was fondly called the 'Father of Soft Drinks' in India. With his son Prakash Jayantilal Chauhan

( With inputs from IANS )