Zespri is planning pan-Indian promotions of its gold kiwifruit variety SunGold, starting on 28 May.
The New Zealand marketer has enlisted Bollywood celebrity Kalki Koechlin, Master Chef India judge Chef Ranveer and renowned Indian nutritionist Pooja Makhija to officially launch the fruit in India, reveals Zespri India market development manager Ritesh Bhimani.
Zespri also plans to launch sales with online Indian retailer Big Basket across six cities, and has organized tie-ups with modern retail outlets across India for prominent displays in their stores, said Bhimani.
“We did a trial run of SunGold in India last year. This year we are planning a bigger launch to introduce SunGold across India,” Bhimani told Fruitnet.
Zespri introduced its green kiwifruit in India four years ago, and last year saw a 65 per cent jump in sales over the prior year, according to Bhimani, adding that he expects SunGold to accelerate Zespri kiwifruit uptake in India.
“Zespri SunGold will be our trump card in India because consumers here like sweet fruit,” he said.
Zespri markets its kiwifruit via street vendors, distributors and retailers in India.
Promotions this year will focus on kiwfruit’s taste and high vitamin C content, Bhimani said.
“Our target audience in India are women and kids,” he added.
