In conversation with Himanshu Bakshi, Managing Director - Danone India

1. What is the objective of One Planet One Health vision? 

“One Planet. One Health” is a framework of action for Danone, which reflects its strong belief that people’s health and the planet’s preservation are interconnected and should be at the core of a food company’s strategy. This vision is a call for action since we believe that we have only one planet, we have only one health, and we need to take care of both. The One Planet One health vision is brought alive by our company goals like impact people’s health locally, with a portfolio of healthier products, with brands encouraging better nutritional choices and by promoting better dietary habits;

•Preserve and renew the planet’s resources, by supporting regenerative agriculture, protecting the water cycle and strengthening the circular economy of packaging across its entire ecosystem in order to contribute to the fight against climate change.

•Entrust Danone’s people to create new futures: building on a unique social innovation heritage, give each employee the opportunity to impact the decisions of the Company, both locally and globally

•Foster inclusive growth, by ensuring equal opportunities within the Company, supporting the most vulnerable partners in its ecosystem and developing sustainable solutions for access to nutrition and safe drinking water for low income communities.

2. Your views on importance of following sustainable development by companies and Danone’s approach to support sustainable development. 

Sustainability is at the Core of our One Planet. One health vision which is focused on taking care of people’s health and planet’s resources. Our approach towards sustainability is focussed on fighting climate change by becoming a carbon neutral company and protecting water since it is a scarce resource for us and local communities. We also want to make our packaging 100% circular and foster regenerative agriculture practices that protect soils and promote animal welfare.

3. Initiatives undertaken by Danone in the last few years to improve the health of the Indian population

At Danone, we strive to improve the nutritional profile of our products every day. Globally, 88% of our products fall in the healthy category. As a leading food company, we will renew our focus on nutrition to bring healthier eating and drinking choices to Indian consumers. Protein deficiency is a major concern for India with several studies reflecting the severity of the problem, (IMRB data of 2017 indicates more than 70% of Indians are protein deficient) and Danone is committed to tackle this problem by endeavoring to spread awareness about the importance of Protein and its impact on overall health and wellbeing. Our brands are the levers through which we deliver our promise. We are establishing the importance of protein and at the same time dispelling myths associated with it, through regular advocacy campaigns. , We have also partnered with FSSAI on the Eat right initiative, to support their efforts on sugar reduction and healthier food choices.

4. As a food company, Danone is always innovating to address the major food and health challenges. What are these innovations and how it is contributing in improving nutrition profile in India?

Innovation is an important component of our Make in India strategy and we are leveraging it to identify and address local nutritional needs such as protein deficiency across life stages. Health and wellness will be key drivers as people strive to build their ‘Immunity’ during these stressful times. We have introduced new flavours in Protinex, and also introduced Protinex Lite- a zero sugar variant. Adding local flavors like Mango and Kesar Badam have also resonated well with our consumers.

5. What is the road map planned ahead in terms of basic strategies, to grow, evolve and expand? 

As a Nutrition company our mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible. We will focus on agile innovations to address consumer needs at affordable price points across life stages from infancy to ageing. We want to build brands with a purpose as consumers look for healthier eating and drinking choices. We will continue to invest in protein advocacy and innovation to expand the category as Immunity and wellness become centerstage. It is an opportunity for food cos to provide affordable food offerings to expand their consumer base.

6. There was mention of ‘Make In India’ being an important part of product development for Danone India – how has the company innovated and produced new products in line with this theme? 

For Danone Make in India means not just manufacture in India but innovate in India for Indian consumers. Over 95 % of our Nutrition products in the Adult Nutrition portfolio and Infant nutrition portfolio are manufactured in India at our plants in Lalru and co manufacturing facilities across India. We are committed to develop products that are tailor made for the Indian consumers - meeting local nutrition needs & taste preferences. Further, these products are designed by our Research & Innovation team in India. Micronutrient deficiencies and protein deficiency are big concerns in India that need to be addressed through a localized India-centric approach on product innovation and distribution. We call this Indovation. In other words, Innovations that are Made in India for India are able to address local needs as well as able to capture the opportunities that lie ahead. Through our Protinex Portfolio, we are constantly creating products that cater to Indian tastes and nutritional requirements.

7. Given the current COVID situation, what initiatives are being taken by Danone to help the country? 

Health and Safety of our employees is our top priority. As we manufacture essential foods, our factories and sales teams have been working tirelessly to ensure regular supply of products to consumers across the country. We have taken all precautions to ensure the safety of our employees. As a part of our social responsibility , we have initiated strategic donations to support front line workers like the police force and healthcare workers For the most vulnerable people, a total of €6m of funds and 32 million of products have been donated worldwide since the beginning of the crisis. As a Food company ‘we serve life’ as our products support the nutrition needs of people across life stages.

8. What are the major challenges that the company is seeing now as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and how have you adapted or evolved to address these? 

In an environment where nearly everything changed overnight, companies need to figure out new buying patterns that are reshaping the way consumers will spend their money in years to come. Health and wellness has gained momentum during the pandemic and sale of products that are considered beneficial to health are likely to soar. Online shopping is another new trend that companies need to adopt to retain consumers that opted to shop online because shops were closed, and it is unlikely that they will revert to traditional ways of shopping entirely. Even when restrictions are lifted, we expect consumers to continue spending more time at home, driven by a desire to stay safe and save money.

9. With regards to the current situation how would you define 'growth', or even maybe 6 months from now? 

We are in the middle of a health and economic crisis with no historical parallels. It is very difficult to predict how the sector will respond. The health foods category where we operate, is more relevant today than ever before with Immunity being key. We are hoping that the sector will soon adjust itself to the “new normal”. It is an opportunity for food cos to provide affordable food offerings and innovation can play a key role here. We are also working on bringing healthier eating and drinking choices to Indian consumers.