Mane Kancor opened its biggest manufacturing facility in mid-May in Byadgi, Karnataka, India. Attending the official opening were Mr. Jean Mane, President, Mane Group; and Dr. Geemon Korah, Executive Director and CEO of Mane Kancor.
The facility spans as many as 50 acres of land and is expected to not only generate more employment but also more indirect opportunities for others, including farmers.
''Our vision is to consolidate the bulk production in a single location to simplify processes and ensure efficient management,” said Mr. Mane. “We are all the more glad about the launch as it will raise the production capacity of the company four-fold along with a 50% rise in direct employment. Also, it will be generating opportunities for more than 10,000 people including farmers across four states – Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala. Interestingly, the new plant occupies just one-third of the land in Byadgi. Hence, our scope for expansion is higher.”
The new facility in Byadgi, the main growing belt for high-color varieties of chilies, will fall under India’s “Make-In-India” program. The continuous extraction facility and the modern technologies incorporated here will ensure best process efficiencies. Additionally, the facility contains a super-critical fluid extraction plant that uses carbon dioxide as an extraction medium. Officials says this is a “greener” process and one that’s organic compliant.
“Mane Kancor was the first company to set up a spice extraction unit in India, in 1969. Today, we have the new infrastructure covering 150,000 square feet around 50 acres of land, in Byadgi,” added Dr. Geemon Korah, Executive Director and CEO of Mane Kancor. “The new plant supports both the development of our scientific manufacturing techniques and the addition of cutting-edge technologies to our business continuity strategy thereby stretching our manufacturing potential. Our focus on segments like natural colors, natural antioxidants, personal care ingredients and so on will be enhanced with the new addition.”
The completely eco-friendly site is envisioned based on the company’s strategy of putting manufacturing facility closer to the growing regions. Apart from chilies, the facility at Byadgi, is also capable to handle the processing of wide varieties of raw materials such as rosemary and other spices. Another specialty of the facility is a zero-waste management system. All biomass generated during production is converted to the fuel, which is subsequently used in the boilers. Elsewhere, gas generated from the effluent treatment is used in the industry canteen. Water from effluent treatment also is used for irrigation purpose.
The expansion of the existing Byadgi unit by setting up a totally new greenfield project is a part of the expansion plans announced during the Golden Jubilee celebration of Mane Kancor in 2019. Mane, the parent company, has invested more than 200 crores in this project as Foreign Direct Investment. Mane is the world’s fifth largest flavor and fragrance house based out of France. The facility in Byadgi is now the largest manufacturing site of Mane Kancor in India.
About Mane Kancor Ingredients
Mane Kancor Ingredients Private Limited, formerly known as Kancor Ingredients Limited, was founded in 1969. It roots in the spice trade date back to 1857 in Kochi, the world’s spice capital. Forerunners in the field of spice extracts, the company is part of France-based Mane Group, one of the world’s largest flavor and fragrance companies.
