Indian multinational the Tata Group has teamed up with agro-chemical company Rallis to enter the branded fruit market.

A new line of branded grapes will go on sale at one of India’s leading supermarket chains, Star Bazaar, which is part of the Tata group and has stores around the Mumbai and Pune regions.

The move to offer the "Rallis – Star Bazaar grapes" demonstrates India's shift toward branded fruit in a bid to raise the bar and offer fresh produce of a consistently high-quality to the rising middle class. The objective is to offer export-quality produce at affordable prices.

Tata Group's announcement comes just a few weeks after www.freshfruitportal.com reported Mahindra & Mahindra’s launch of the Saboro brand of fruits which includes apples and grapes, with further plans to scale up with Saboro citrus and bananas.

The launch was confirmed in a Tata press release yesterday that detailed how the "farm-fresh" grapes come in part of Rallis India’s "Samrudh Krishi" initiative to bring the latest agronomic practices to Indian farmers, encouraging a healthy and safe product at all times.

Rallis – Star Bazaar Grapes have been certified by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) for meeting international quality standards, according to the release. APEDA is a government body established to ensure standards and specifications for products destined for export.

"We are delighted to bring farm-fresh grapes to the consumers through Star Bazaar outlets. Consumers today have become very health conscious and prefer quality products which are safe and healthy for consumption," the release said.

Rallis CEO Veeramani Shankar said an expanded launch across additional markets in India is planned for a second phase.

Rallis – Star Bazaar grapes are priced at Rs 115 (US$1.90) for 1kg and Rs 65 (US$1.07) for 500 grams.

www.freshfruitportal.com