Just wondering ...

What has been happening at MTR foods since it was taken over by the Norwaybased Orkla Foods for Rs 354 crore in February, 2007? Well, it seems Orkla is now looking to fine-tune MTR’s product portfolio. According to a senior MTR executive, the company now has 65 products in the ready-to-eat (RTE) market and will soon bolster its snacks and curries portfolio. Riding on the rising global popularity of Indian food, MTR Chairman Sadananda Maiyya is now planning to take the company’s RTE food into the Nordic market.

But MTR, which had one exclusive outlet (in Bangalore) at the time of acquisition, has been unable to expand its retail presence since then. MTR executives, however, claim that retail expansion is part of its growth strategy and that the company is identifying locations for this purpose. With companies such as ITC Foods stealing a march over its more established rivals, MTR will need to get its act together quickly or risk getting relegated to the sidelines.

—Rahul Sachitanand