Biscuit King Rajan Pillai died 12 years ago in Tihar jail under mysterious circumstances. But his legacy is not dead. Now, making news in the business circuit is Rajan Pillai's brother Rajmohan Pillai, an NRI-based in the Netherlands.
In his latest endeavour, Rajmohan Pillai, who at present is the chairman of the Netherlands-based $1-billion Beta Industries, a dry fruit and fast food major in Europe, is joining hands with a global biscuit major. He has already gained control of a manufacturing facility in Kolkata and another one in Kerala near Quilon with a capacity to produce nearly 60,000 tonnes.
He is in talks with two global majors, Campbell Arnott, a leader in Australian fast food business and United Biscuits, a US based global major.
According to sources, Pillai will finalise a deal within a few weeks. They are offering 26% in the join venture in return for the know-how and marketing muscle of the global major.
Distribution of oil and dry-roasted nuts in cans and pouches, provides him a strategic advantage to expand his business to snack and fast food market in India.
Beta Industries already has a major presence in India in the dry fruit segment with its brand Nutking. This group is the third largest dry fruits distributor in Europe, after Conagram and Man, and the largest producers of branded coconut milk products and coconut water in the US.
Its brands Aroy-D, Foco and Bright are a runaway success in the ethnic market of the US especially among the Chinese and Thailand communities there. Beta is also in Marine products distribution.
A joint venture between the Beta group, the third largest dryfruit seller in Europe and a global biscuit major will make a formidable presence in the organised business market in India, which is now controlled by players Britannia, Parle and ITC.
It is learnt that the Australian major, known for its Tim Tam, Swanson and Nyam Nyam brand of fast food products has almost completed the market survey and due diligence of the Indian market.
In July 1995, the Central Bureau of Investigation had arrested Rajan Pillai, the multimillionaire who had set up a food business empire in Singapore, and then went on to buy biscuit giant Britannia. It was an arrest that hit the headlines as many allege that it was motivated by high-strung business vendetta and political motives.
Pillai died of liver cirrhosis, from which he was suffering, within three days of being imprisoned at Delhi's Tihar Jail, sparking widespread agitation throughout the country.