Givaudan, the world’s leading fragrance and flavor company, today formally opened its new Innovation Centre in Mumbai, expanding local capabilities and resources to bring innovative and creative flavor and taste solutions to its customers in India.

For the first time Givaudan’s sensory science, flavor science and foodservice expertise will be available from within India. Food and beverage customers across the sub-continent will benefit from faster access to Givaudan’s world‑leading tools and technical services, including Indian consumer-preferred flavor profiles such as mango, dairy and Indian spices and cooking cues.

Representing an investment of over CHF 3.7 million to meet rising customer demand for Givaudan’s industry‑leading technical services from across the Indian subcontinent; the new Mumbai Flavor Innovation Centre is also the latest demonstration of Givaudan’s ongoing commitment to expanding its creative and technical capabilities in India. Givaudan just completed the expansion of its flavors powder blend capacity at its Daman production facility and is planning a new flavors manufacturing site at Pune.

At the official opening of the facility, Mauricio Graber, president, Flavor Division, said: “Growth in developing markets is one of our strategic pillars and we aim to increase our total sales in these markets to 50 percent by 2015 across all categories. We will achieve this growth by investing in high‑growth markets like India, through superior local talent, capabilities and consumer understanding, together with world‑class infrastructure.

“The expansion of our Mumbai Flavor Innovation Centre enables us to offer sensory science, flavor science and foodservice expertise directly from India for the first time. Together with our in‑depth understanding of the local Indian market, we are able to offer closer collaboration with our customers, creating true consumer‑preferred taste experiences to differentiate their products in the marketplace.”

India is one of over 40 countries in which Givaudan has a presence. In 2012 the company grew its business in developing markets by 13.2 percent in local currencies; it aims to increase its total sales in these markets to 50 percent by 2015 across all categories.

In 2013, further investments will be completed in Asia Pacific with the expansion of new spray drying capabilities in Indonesia and the ground‑breaking of a new savory facility in China.