Hyderabad, Feb 17 (PTI) Yakult Danone India, a 50:50 JV between Danone of France and Yakult Honsha, Japan today launched its pro-biotic health drink Yakult in the city. The drink, which was introduced in India in 2007, and is presently available in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Punjab, will be available in retail stores in the city from February 19, the company said in a press release issued here. Speaking on the launch, Kiyoshi Oike, Managing Director, Yakult Danone India said awareness about probiotic foods is fast catching up in India and Yakult has seen wide consumer acceptance in the metros. "We have established a strong presence in North India and are now focusing on the Southern markets with the aim to educate and propagate the health benefits of probiotics among consumers. Innovation and information dissemination on probiotics has been fundamental to our growth across geographies making us global leaders," Oike said in the statement. Jochen Ebert, Managing Director, Danone Food and Beverages said the Yakult Danone alliance in India is a result of the teamwork of two global giants in the probiotic industry. "Faced with the formidable task of introducing a new market for probiotics in India, the JV company has established a strong probiotic category in a remarkably short span of time," Ebert said.
