Kellogg's eye at a bigger pie of Indian market, to place as snack brand

Kellogg's Co is looking to broaden its local portfolio by persuading Indians to take to cereal as a snack and not just a breakfast food, said Chief Executive John Bryant, adding that the company is looking to triple sales in the country.

"To be a snacks company... we have to be within arm's reach," said the CEO of the $14.6-billion Kellogg. “We've done that in Shanghai, Mexico... to reach high-frequency small stores... we will have small packets of cereal they could be Rs 5 and Rs 10."

Byrant, who was on a three-day visit to Chennai last week, said India accounted for 10 percent of Asia-Pacific sales and was Kellogg's.

"It's not unusual for us in the first decade to be relatively smaller in size," Bryant said. "The base in volumes terms here is good... though in dollar terms India is not as big as we would like it to be."

Kellogg's has invested $100 million in India over the past 18 months in products, manufacturing and people besides building brands, he said.

Outside US, UK and Canada; India is the only country that the Kellogg's board has met in, Bryant said.