Tata Int agri exports in Africa to touch $152 mn by 2025
January 23, 2018
Published by PTI
Mumbai, Jan 23 (PTI) Tata International, the global trading and distribution arm of diversified Tata Group plans to double its agriculture exports to USD 76 million by 2021 and quadruple to USD 152 million by 2025, a top company official said here.
“Our exports to African countries is estimated at USD 440 million of which agriculture exports is USD 38 million.
Our programme is to double it by 2021 and quadruple by 2025,” Tata International chairman and independent director G K Pillai said here.
Tata International has substantial presence in several African nations such as South Africa, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Uganda, among others.
While speaking at the “South-south cooperation: India-Africa Partnership for Food Security and Capacity Building” conference, Pillai said that the Africa provides lot of business opportunities. However, the company faces several issues like port congestion, currency fluctuation and lack of qualified personnel in African countries.
“Port congestion is a main issue as efficiency in some African countries needs to improve as port congestion hits exporters and demurrage charges are extremely high. Currency fluctuations is also a major issue for exports,” Pillai said.
Tata International is concern over lack of qualified lab personnel’s in African countries. They are training local people for this, Pillai added.
Set up in 1962, Tata International (TIL)’s key business verticals are sale of leather and leather products, trading in metals and minerals, distribution of auto and allied products, agri-trading, trading and distribution of industrial chemicals, distribution of drugs & medical devices and IT services.
Meanwhile, several African countries namely Ehiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda have sought investment mainly in agriculture sector from the Indian corporates.
The conference aims at exploring and accessing the potential of India’s ongoing partnerships with Africa in the fields of agriculture, food security and capacity building through bilateral and trilateral initiatives. It also aims to study the role of India FDI for capacity building and value addition to the agricultural sector Africa through government-led and private sector initiatives.
