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| ▲ This photo provided by Lotte Wellfood Co. shows the company's Pepero products for the Indian market. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Lotte Wellfood-India
Lotte Wellfood completes construction of 1st overseas Pepero production line in India
SEOUL, July 9 (Yonhap) -- Lotte Wellfood Co., a South Korean confectionary company, said Wednesday it has completed construction of its first overseas production line for Pepero, the company's iconic chocolate-coated biscuit stick snack, in India.
The launch of the Pepero production line at the company's plant in Haryana, operated by its Indian subsidiary, Lotte India, came after the company decided to invest approximately 33 billion won (US$24 million) to establish the line in January.
In the Indian market, Lotte Wellfood will release the original Pepero, along with a crunchy variant. The products will initially be distributed in the Delhi region through a variety of retail channels before expanding nationwide.
Lotte Wellfood said it has tailored the product for India's hot and humid climate, engineering the chocolate coating to withstand temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius without melting.
The company said it aims to tap into India's vast confectionery market, which is valued at roughly 1.7 trillion won, serving a population of 1.4 billion.
Lotte Wellfood plans to roll out a localized marketing campaign starting in September. It will feature K-pop group Stray Kids to strengthen the brand's appeal among younger consumers.
Pepero is currently available in 57 countries, including the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Russia and Saudi Arabia.
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