Press Coverage Report

Launch of INI Farms’ New Facility: Integrated Pack House

near Pune

September 6, 2016

By the

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/future-group-ini-farms-form-rs-60-

crore-venture-to-source-pomegranates-bananas/articleshow/53911502.cms

Publication: The Economic Times Date: August 30, 2016 Edition: Mumbai and Bangalore

Publication: The Financial Express Date: September 3, 2016 Edition: National

Publication: Navbharat Date: September 3, 2016 Edition: Pune

Publication: Apla Mahanagar Date: September 1, 2016 Edition: Pune

Publication: Saamna Date: September 5, 2016 Edition: Pune

Publication: Sanjvarta Date: September 1, 2016 Edition: Pune

Publication: Pimpri Chinchwad Samachar Date: September 1, 2016 Edition: Pune

Publication: Lokprerna Date: September 2, 2016 Edition: Pune

INI Farms launches integrated pack-house facility in Vasunde near Pune

Mumbai-based horticultural company INI Farms, which focuses on pomegranates and bananas, has launched

India’s largest post-harvest integrated pack-house facility at Vasunde village, 80km from Pune.

Spread over five-and-a-half acres and a constructed space of 70,000sq ft, the facility, which took five months to

construct, will lead to improvement in quality and wastage reduction of the two fruits.

The facility includes complete handling and primary processes such as cleaning, sorting, grading and packaging of

the produce, which shall be exported across the globe.

It will also have additional capability to manage value-added fresh consumer products like pomegranate seeds

(arils) and coconut chunks.

The pack-house is expected to employ over 500 labour for its daily functioning. Of these 70 per cent will be

women. The facility will become active from September 15, 2016.

Talking about the new facility, Pankaj Khandelwal, chairman and managing director, INI Farms, said, “The launch

of the largest facility in the country dedicated to banana and pomegranate will enable us to work with farmers to

meet international standards of quality products and position India as a leading player in international trade.”

“This will allow us to capitalise on the growing segment of branded fruits across the globe. Through this initiative,

we have cemented our presence and reach nationally as well as globally to cater to the needs of the consumers as

well as improve and enhance farmers’ lives,” he said.

The launch was attended by over 600 stakeholders, including 150 farmers and their families. Also present were

customers from many countries, including the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, who were highly

impressed by the scale and quality of operations.

Representatives from various government bodies, such as the Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board

(MSAMB) and Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), who have

provided stellar support fro value chain development of various horticulture commodities were also present.

INI Farms is currently working in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Moreover, it has a presence in over

21 countries including the United States, Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia.

Earlier this month, the company, in partnership with Future Group’s Future Consumer Enterprise Limited, entered

Andhra Pradesh by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state horticulture department to

encourage and support productivity improvement, post-harvest infrastructure, capacity building and value chain

development of banana and pomegranate.

Through this project in Andhra Pradesh, INI Farms plans to work with 12,000 local farmers to assist them by

providing inputs, knowledge, technology and market access that can improve the overall quality of their produce

and also fetch them a good market price.

Apart from pomegranate and banana, the next phase of growth will include pineapple.

http://www.fnbnews.com/Top-News/ini-farms-launches-integrated-packhouse-facility-in-vasunde-near-pune-

39470

Publication: FnBNews Date: September 6, 2016 Edition: Online

INI Farms launches India’s largest Integrated Pack-House Facility near Pune

Pune: INI Farms, a Mumbai-based horticulture company focused on Pomegranates and Bananas, launched India’s

largest and one of its kind post-harvest Integrated Pack-house facility near Pune. The facilityshall lead to

improvement in qualityand wastage reduction of Banana and Pomegranate.The integrated facility includes

complete handling and primary processes such as cleaning sorting, grading and packaging of the produce which

shall be exported across the globe.

Constructed over a record period of five months, this is India’s largest post -harvest Integrated Pack-house facility

designed as per international standards and spread over 5 ½ acres and 70,000 sq. feet constructed spaceat

Vasunde village, 80-km from Pune city. Thefacility willalso have additional capability to manage value added fresh

consumer products like pomegranate seeds (Arils) and Coconut Chunks. The pack -house is expected to employ

over five hundred labour for its daily functioning, of which 70 percent shall be women. The facility is going to be

active from 15th September, 2016.

Talking about the new facility, Pankaj Khandelwal, Chairman and Managing Director, INI Farms said,

“The launch of the largest facility in the country dedicated to banana and pomegranate will enable us to work

with farmers to meet international standards of quality products and position India as a leading player in

international trade. This will allow us to capitalise the growing segment of branded fruits across the globe.

Through this initiative, we have cemented our presence and reach nationally as well as globally to cater to the

needs of the consumers as well as improving and enhancing farmers lives.”

The launch was attended by over 600 stakeholders including 150 farmers and their families. Also, present were

customers from many countries including Netherlands, UAEand Oman who were highly impressed by the scale

and quality of operations. The representatives from various government bodies such as Maharashtra State

Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB) and Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development

Authority (APEDA), who have provided stellar support for value chain development of various horticulture

commodities, were also present.

INI farms is currently working in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh along with a global presence in over

21 countries including US, Europe, Middle East and South East Asia. Earlier this month, the company in

partnership with Future Group’s Future Consumer Enterprise Limited entered the Andhra Pradesh state by signing

a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Horticulture, Government of Andhra Pradesh to

encourage and support productivity improvement, post-harvest infrastructure, capacity building, value chain

development of Banana and Pomegranate. Through this project in Andhra Pradesh, INI Farms plans to work with

12,000 local farmers to assist them by providing inputs, knowledge, technology and market access that can

improve the overall quality of their produce and also fetch them good market price.

Apart from Pomegranate and Banana, the next phase of growth will include Pineapple.

http://nrinews24x7.com/ini-farms-launches-indias-largest-integrated-pack-house-facility-near-pune/

Publication: NRINews24X7 Date: September 1, 2016 Edition: Online

INI Farms launches India’s largest Integrated Pack-House Facility near Pune

INI Farms, a Mumbai-based horticulture company focused on Pomegranates and Bananas, launched India’s

largest and one of its kind post-harvest Integrated Pack-house facility near Pune. The facilityshall lead to

improvement in qualityand wastage reduction of Banana and Pomegranate.The integrated facility includes

complete handling and primary processes such as cleaning sorting, grading and packaging of the produce which

shall be exported across the globe.

Constructed over a record period of five months, this is India’s largest post -harvest Integrated Pack-house facility

designed as per international standards and spread over 5 ½ acres and 70,000 sq. feet constructed spaceat

Vasunde village, 80-km from Pune city. Thefacility willalso have additional capability to manage value added fresh

consumer products like pomegranate seeds (Arils) and Coconut Chunks. The pack -house is expected to employ

over five hundred labour for its daily functioning, of which 70 percent shall be women. The facility is going to be

active from 15th September, 2016.

Talking about the new facility, Pankaj Khandelwal, Chairman and Managing Director, INI Farms said,

“The launch of the largest facility in the country dedicated to banana and pomegranate will enable us to work

with farmers to meet international standards of quality products and position India as a leading player in

international trade. This will allow us to capitalise the growing segment of branded fruits across th e globe.

Through this initiative, we have cemented our presence and reach nationally as well as globally to cater to the

needs of the consumers as well as improving and enhancing farmers lives.”

The launch was attended by over 600 stakeholders including 150 farmers and their families. Also, present were

customers from many countries including Netherlands, UAEand Oman who were highly impressed by the scale

and quality of operations. The representatives from various government bodies such as Maharashtra Stat e

Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB) and Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development

Authority (APEDA), who have provided stellar support for value chain development of various horticulture

commodities, were also present.

INI farms is currently working in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh along with a global presence in over

21 countries including US, Europe, Middle East and South East Asia. Earlier this month, the company in

partnership with Future Group’s Future Consumer Enterprise Limited entered the Andhra Pradesh state by signing

a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Horticulture, Government of Andhra Pradesh to

encourage and support productivity improvement, post-harvest infrastructure, capacity building, value chain

development of Banana and Pomegranate. Through this project in Andhra Pradesh, INI Farms plans to work with

12,000 local farmers to assist them by providing inputs, knowledge, technology and market access that can

improve the overall quality of their produce and also fetch them good market price.

Apart from Pomegranate and Banana, the next phase of growth will include Pineapple.

http://dayinpune.blogspot.in/2016/08/ini-farms-launches-indias-largest.html

Publication: DayinPune Date: August 31, 2016 Edition: Online

India: INI Farms launches new integrated packhouse

Mumbai-based INI Farms has recently launched one of India’s largest integrated packhouses, in a move that is

expected to cut back post-harvest losses and improve quality for its banana and pomegranate operations.

The facility is the largest of its kind for these two particular crops, providing complete hand ling and primary

processes such as the cleaning, sorting, grading and packaging of produce which is sold in India and all over the

world.

Last month, general manager Kalpesh Khivasara told www.freshfruitportal.com the new packhouse would also be

used for the company’s relatively new cut pineapple and coconut chunk segments, as well as pomegranate

processing.

Constructed over a period of five months, the facility at Vasunde village is just 80km (50mi) outside Pune city and

is designed as per international standards, spread over 5.5 acres and 70,000 square feet of constructed space.

In a release, the company confirmed it would have additional capability to manage value -added fresh consumer

products.

The packhouse is expected to employ more than 500 people, of which 70% will be women. The facility will be

active as of Sept. 15.

“The launch of the largest facility in the country dedicated to banana and pomegranate will enable us to work

with farmers to meet international standards of quality products and posit ion India as a leading player in

international trade,” says managing director Pankaj Khandelwal.

“This will allow us to capitalise the growing segment of branded fruits across the globe. Through this initiative, we

have cemented our presence and reach nationally as well as globally to cater to the needs of the consumers as

well as improving and enhancing farmers lives.”

The launch was attended by over 600 people including 50 farmers and their families. Also present were customers

from many countries including the Netherlands, the UAE and Oman, as well as representatives from various

government bodies such as Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB) and Agricultural and

Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

INI farms is currently working in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh along with a global presence in over

21 countries, with the U.S., Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia as its main markets.

Earlier this month, the company entered the state of Andhra Pradesh in partnership with Future Group’s Future

Consumer Enterprise Limited, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state’s Department of

Horticulture to encourage and support productivity improvement, post -harvest infrastructure, capacity building

and value chain development in pomegranates and bananas.

Through this project in Andhra Pradesh, INI Farms plans to work with 12,000 local farmers to assist them by

providing inputs, knowledge, technology and market access that can improve the overall quality of their produce

and also fetch good market prices.

http://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2016/09/02/india-ini-farms-launches-new-integrated-packhouse/

Publication: FreshFruitPortal Date: September 2, 2016 Edition: Online