| |SEPTEMBER 20228Adani Wilmar, the kitchen essentials firm owned by Gautam Adani, is scouting for local and overseas acquisition targets as Asia's richest man doubles down on boosting his empire's food operations weeks after Reliance Industries announced plans to launch a consumer goods business. "We are looking at acquiring brands in staple foods and distribution companies to boost our consumer goods offering and reach", Angshu Mallick, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at Adani Wilmar, said in an interview Wednesday. "We are expecting to conclude a couple of acquisitions by March".The firm has earmarked Rs. 500 crore ($62.9 million) from its initial public offering for purchases, Angshu said. Additional funding will come from internal accruals and the 30 billion rupees of planned capital expenditure for next year starting April, he said. The food company's shares have more than tripled since its $486 million debut in February. Conglomerates such as Adani Group and billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries are trying to grab a share of India's food production industry which is pegged at $400 billion, according to the UN's Food & Agriculture Organization.Adani recently acquired several brands, including the Kohinoor cooking brand from McCormick Switzerland for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition gave Adani exclusive rights over Kohinoor's basmati rice and ready-to-cook, ready-to-eat curries and meals in India. The Adani Group has been on a tear buying some 32 companies in the past year, valued at about $17 billion, many outside its core coal and infrastructure-related businesses.Reliance Retail, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries, announced its foray into the fast-moving consumer goods, or FMCG, business, with the aim of developing and delivering high quality products at affordable prices. "Going forward, companies have to provide quality of products, value for money and robust distribution network", Angshu said, adding his firm is witnessing 50 percent growth in e-Commerce distribution via Amazon & Flipkart. Adani Wilmar eyes overseas acquisitions to push food businessIN FOCUS
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