The headquarters of Lotte India, Lotte Wellfood's India subsidiary [Lotte Wellfood]
The headquarters of Lotte India, Lotte Wellfood's India subsidiary [Lotte Wellfood]

Lotte Wellfood said Monday that Lotte India, its Indian subsidiary, posted sales growth of about 28 percent in the first half of the year compared with the same period last year, marking the first anniversary of the unit's merger of its confectionery and ice cream operations.

The ice cream segment led the gains, growing 29 percent year on year. The company attributed the performance to expanded supply through a new ice cream factory in Pune, Maharashtra, which began operations in February last year. Lotte has broadened its ice cream lineup in India to include locally branded versions of Dojaebi Bar (sold as Crunch), Watermelon Bar and Jaws Bar (sold as Shark).

The confectionery segment also grew 26 percent over the same period, driven by a strategy to expand into traditional trade (TT) channels.

Lotte Wellfood is preparing to launch a fourth Lotte Choco Pie production line at its Rohtak factory in Haryana state. Lotte India currently operates six factories in total — three each for confectionery and ice cream. The company is targeting annual sales of 1 trillion won ($664 million) by 2032.

"The first anniversary of the integrated subsidiary marks a milestone in strengthening production efficiency and retail competitiveness in the Indian market," a Lotte Wellfood official said. "We will maximize infrastructure synergies by combining the strengths of both businesses to become India's leading comprehensive food company."


andy@heraldcorp.com