Tata brews new coffee flavour in Tamil Nadu

With the setting up of its new freeze-dried coffee plant in Theni district of
Tamil Nadu, Tata Coffee will foray into the top segment of the instant coffee
market. The new freeze-dried coffee plant, which is expected to go on stream by
the end of 2006, will be set up at an investment of Rs 80 crore.

The construction work is expected to start in the next couple of months, R K
Krishna Kumar, director, Tata Sons, told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting
organised by Tata Relief Committee regarding their relief and rehabilitation
works in Tamil Nadu.

Once the plant becomes operational, it will export freeze-dried coffee to
Russia and European countries, he added.

Tata Coffee already has a coffee plant in Theni, which was acquired a couple
of years ago. The plant is currently producing instant coffee. The new
freeze-dried coffee unit, which will come next to the existing unit, will have a
production capacity of 2,000 tonne per annum.

Earlier, P Balasubramanyam, director – operations, Tata Relief Committee,
presented details on the relief and rehabilitation activities taken up by the
committee in five Tsunami affected districts of Tamil Nadu.

The rehabilitation projects have been estimated to cost Rs 35 crore and all
projects, which are in various stages, are expected to be completed by June 2006