India Focus: Lotte’s One India plan, HUL financial results, vegan logo rules and more

South Korean food and beverage giant Lotte Welfood is targeting growth in India and high-value product innovation domestically to improve profitability. Lotte Group recently held its 2025 IR Day to update investors on the business directions that its five major affiliates - Lotte Welfood, Lotte Chilsung Beverage, Lotte Shopping, and Lotte Chemical – would be taking in 2025. This event was likely a move to quell concerns that arose at the end of 2024, when Lotte was faced a liquidity crisis after poor performance by the Lotte Chemical arm left the company needing to repay some KRW2tn (US$1.4bn) in corporate bonds, a crisis that Lotte averted by offering the Lotte World Tower as collateral and selling various assets. Lotte has announced various strategies for each of its affiliates, and for Lotte Welfood this includes an increased focus on its India business and high-value product innovation, amongst others. Hindustan Unilever India (HUL) is hedging its bets on small retail packs and Korean Hallyu wave inspiration for its food business amid subdued FMCG demand in the country. HUL recently announced its Q4FY2024 results, reporting a 2% sales growth to reach INR151bn (US$1.75bn) in total turnover as well as a 19% year-on-year growth in profits after tax at INR30bn (US$346mn). Despite these apparently positive numbers, HUL CEO Rohit Jawa warned of negative signs in the FMCG consumer market due to the current economy. “Total FMCG volume growth has slowed down over the last six months, indicating subdued demand,” he told the floor at the firm’s most recent investors’ meeting. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed new guidelines requiring all imported vegan foods to carry an official certificate from a recognised authority in the exporting country, specifying compliance with India’s vegan regulations. The certificate, which serves as proof of compliance with India’s vegan food regulations, must be issued in the format specified in Form I of the proposed amendments. Vegan food importers must ensure their products meet key compliance standards. Vegan and non-vegan raw materials must be stored separately. The production line must also be distinct from facilities handling non-vegan ingredients. India-based Cup-ji is capitalising on the convenience trend with its ready-to-sip beverage cups while eyeing global expansion on the back of UAE gains. According to co-founder Jay Sotta, the brand is the youth wing of Aditya Trading Company, which owns the Arati Tea brand and exports more than 3m kg of tea per year to over 21 countries. “My family has been into the tea business for 100 years. I’m the fifth generation in the business, where we are focusing on innovative hot beverages that can build a consumption habit for tomorrow,” he told FoodNavigator-Asia at Gulfood 2025. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed mandating a logo on milk products, while calling for more prominent salt, sugar and fat labelling. It also provided the colour and size specifications for components of the logo, which is a white drop enclosed within a blue square box. For example, on a front-of-pack display area of up to 100cm square, each side of the square must not be less than 6mm; and the minimum height and width of the drop are 4.56mm and 3mm respectively. Larger display areas will see minimum size requirements of the logo increase accordingly.

India Focus: Lotte’s One India plan, HUL financial results, vegan logo rules and more

Lotte’s One India plan, HUL financial results, vegan logo rules and more feature in this edition of India Focus.

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