Michele Buck, global president & CEO of The Hershey Company, spoke to CNBC-TV18 about the India business plans and growth opportunities in the country.

"India is critical to the company’s international business and remains a key focus market," Buck told CNBC-TV18 on Wednesday.

"We are really excited about the vibrant economy here. The fact that it is one of the fastest growing economies around the world -- the growth in middle class and also growth in disposable income," she said.

“If one looks at the chocolate category, it is about $1.2 billion in revenue and is growing over 11 percent and so absolutely ripe for further investment,” she said, adding that they were committed to growth in this market.

Talking about the India business, Buck said, “We have already established our Hershey’s brand as one of the leading brand across multiple categories in which we compete including spreads, milkshakes, chocolate syrup and coco powders,” she said, adding that they want to further expand their presence with launch of ‘kisses’.

She said partnership with Godrej was a great way to establish presence in India.

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First Published:Oct 17, 2018 2:32 PM IST