Leading Indian fresh fruit importer IG International has launched IGKiwi, its own brand of kiwifruit, as it bids to ramp up consumer awareness and sales of the fruit in the fast-expanding Indian market.
IG’s director Tarun Arora staged the launch of IGKiwi at Fresh Produce India, India’s only international fresh fruit and vegetable conference and expo event, which was held in Mumbai last week.
Chile is the primary supply source for the IGKiwi brand, and IG held the event in the presence of Jaime Gonzalez, Chile’s Counsellor for Agricultural Affairs in India and Carolina Vasquez, the Chilean Trade Commissioner.
Kiwo, the IGKiwi mascot, was the company’s special attraction at Fresh Produce India, presenting his journey from Chile to India through a video at the launch.
“There can be no better time for the launch of IGKiwi as this is the same time we start our Chilean kiwifruit import programme into the Indian market,” said Arora. “We will be promoting the IGKiwi brand in India and are confident of exceeding our import volume forecast of 6,000 tonnes this year into the Indian market.”
IG’s goal with IGKiwi is to deliver kiwifruit of ‘international quality standards’ to Indian consumers on a consistent basis, sourcing not only from Chile, but also from key Northern Hemisphere exporting countries such as Italy and Greece.
IG International recently opened a pre-packing facility with automated machinery for packing kiwifruit in convenient consumer punnets – packaging which the company also showcased at Fresh Produce India.
IG sees great potential to grow the kiwifruit market in India, where many consumers have yet to discover the fruit. The value of India’s kiwifruit imports have more than doubled since 2013 to top US$22m last year, according to Asiafruit analysis of customs data. But kiwifruit is widely seen as one of the imported fruits with the brightest growth prospects in India.
Kiwifruit’s health benefits are a pillar of IG’s promotional push for the fruit, with the company pointing out that is 'packed with Vitamins C, E and K along with potassium and fibre'. The company has dubbed its promotional campaign for the fruit as a ‘Kiwolution’.
“With superior quality, unmatched nutrition and the most affordable pricing in the fruit industry, IGKiwi is set to drive a health revolution in the Indian fruit and kiwi markets by delivering kiwi affordability and accessibility to all,” IG said in a media statement.
