Ajinomoto to raise output of ‘Hapima’

Ajinomoto India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Ajinomoto Thailand, plans to increase the production of ‘Hapima,’ which is used for flavouring, at its manufacturing facility near Chennai by 50%, said a top official.

“Last year, we grew by 200% and this year, our sales volumes might increase by 150%,” said Atsushi Mishuku, director and general manager, Ajinomoto India.

Ajinomoto has invested ₹30 crore in its production facility at Mamallapuram near Chennai. It produces Hapima, a seasoning for fried rice and vegetables. It is being sold through 40,000 outlets in Tamil Nadu.

“We advertised Hapima in Tamil channels and we started getting good number of enquiries from Karnataka. Following this, we entered Bengaluru. To meet the growing demand for flavouring season, we have decided to increase our production capacity by 50%. We are also considering to enter other cities and coming out with one more category,” he said.

However, Mr. Mishuku was not willing to disclose the production capacity, sales number or investment details as Ajinomoto was a closely held private firm.