With a proud history that can be traced back to 1865, the Allana brand represents a long tradition of quality, innovation, and excellent customer service. Allana Consumer Products is the Consumer Products Division of the reputed Allana Group that deals with B2B and B2C spaces and has a multifaceted product portfolio. In the B2B space, the company deals with Pristine range of bakery ingredients and specialized Oils and Fats under the brand names Alfa, Pristine & Lion. The B2C business deals with well-known brands like London Dairy premium ice cream, Sunny, and Priya Refined Oils, Radhuni Palmolein, Allegro Olive Oil and Beyond Meat.

The company's journey started over a decade ago when Allana began importing and distributing London Dairy in 2011. Milind Pingle, chief executive officer of Allana Consumer Products, shares, "We then set up a world-class facility at Kalwa to develop and manufacture a range of bakery ingredients in 2012. In 2013, the company established a state-of-the-art refinery in Khopoli in Maharashtra to service the edible oils & fats requirements of various customer segments in B2B and B2C. With the introduction of Allegro Olive Oil in 2017, the company made a foray into the premium Olive oil category in India. In 2021, Allana started distributing the globally renowned plant-based meat Beyond Meat in India and entered India's ever-evolving Vegan market.

Strong R&D foundation and consumer centricity

With a strong R&D foundation, a core understanding of consumer needs and emerging global trends and an emphasis on quality and innovation, Allana Consumer Products aspires to grow into a multifaceted and multiproduct food conglomerate meeting customer expectations and developing long-term relationships with all stakeholders. Allana Consumer Products has a well-equipped R&D that is always on the lookout for cutting-edge products in both domestic and international markets to develop products that will be differentiated and add value.

According to Pingle, consumer centricity is a way of life at Allana Consumer Products and is the basis of all decision-making in the organization. "We are constantly looking out for emerging trends in B2C space and invest in market research. In the B2B space, we identify need gaps of our customers that we can service well."

He adds, "Our team of sales personnel, on-ground promoters and distributors are eyes and ears of the company providing us with regular feedback on what's in and ticking. Our Marketing team is also scanning the markets for opportunities in which we can play sustainably."

Covid-19 pandemic

Pingle states that at Allana Consumer Products, they have accomplished certain critical tasks during this pandemic phase like the commissioning of the new Bakery project at Khopoli in Sept '20, the introduction of the new Pristine Decors & Fillings range in Nov '20, the launch of Beyond Meat - the famous plant-based meat brand of USA in the Indian market in April '21 and more recently the commissioning of Oil Tank Terminal at JNPT in Nov '21. He proudly shares, "It has been a matter of pride that we kept the business going uninterruptedly in Oils & Fats, London Dairy and also Bakery Ingredients and were able to out-execute competition in the markets. I would say this difficult phase inspired us to emerge stronger."

Focus on sustainability

Allana Consumer Products is committed to sustainability practices. The company is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and is pursuing increased volumes of RSPO-certified oils. Allana Consumer Products practices 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) in its operations and is concerned with climate and conservation of natural resources such as water and the environment.

Allana has taken remedial measures by waste minimization, hazard reduction and pollution prevention. It has a Zero Effluent Discharge Plant. The company is also accredited with a 5-star rating for maintaining air pollution norms as prescribed by MPCB (Maharashtra Pollution Control Board).

Pingle adds, "We continually aspire to embark on contributing to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically related to sustainable production and consumption, ensuring food security and nutrition, ending poverty, combating climate change, halting biodiversity loss, land degradation and deforestation. We strive to be plastic neutral as mandated by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) post notification of Plastic Waste Management (PWM) rules. We take our Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) very seriously and collect back the same quantum of plastic we consume for our packaging needs from the environment for reuse."

Evolving market and consumer trends

The last couple of years have taught businesses to adapt to uncertainty and ambiguity. The experience has increased our resolve to succeed despite challenging scenarios by staying nimble-footed, determined, and responding to challenges with a positive attitude. The modern-day consumer is more inquisitive about the origins and environmental impact of the product. Moreover, digitization, improvisation, and innovation in home delivery system are ever-evolving and will continue to undergo further changes.

Adding to the changing market and consumer trends, Pingle says, "As Consumers are becoming digitally savvy; we as marketers must become digitally-first in our approach. At Allana Consumer Products, there has been greater adoption of the eCommerce channel in the last two years and a trend that is slated to continue."

"Irrespective of all the changes, Allana Consumer Products believes in seeking a consumer-first approach. We closely follow changing consumer usage and attitudes and accelerate innovation across the value chain to flourish in the longer run. We are looking to the future with optimism and are confident that the FMCG industry will continue its growth trajectory well into 2022," he adds.

Aims to deliver the superior customer experience

According to Pingle, the aim of Allana Consumer Products has always been to deliver the best of the offerings to its consumers by focusing on quality, innovation, and customer service. "Not only did we introduce a world-class product like Beyond Meat offering the finest plant-based meat products to Indians, but we also ventured into Rice bran category with the launch of Priya Rice bran Oil and into Pure Olive Oil category to cater to the non-culinary usage of Olive Oil."

He adds, "We are continuously preparing ourselves to cater to a wide range of customer base, both B2B and B2C. We aim to deliver a superior customer experience by focusing on consumer insights, quality, innovation, and sustainability. Last but not the least – our employees. We lay great emphasis on people and their well-being. We invest in learning & development, up-skilling, and retaining and growing our team."