Nestle planning Diwali re-launch for Maggi noodles in India

Nestle is planning to re-launch Maggi noodles in India coinciding with the festival season of Diwali, after the courts lifted the ban on the food products. The flagship brand of noodles received a boost after Karnataka and Gujarat became the latest two states to lift the ban.

The food giant is preparing to introduce fresh batches of Maggi noodles across the country without any glitches as the company is eagerly looking to put the Indian arm back on track. Nestle faced one of its biggest credibility crises in India after the noodles were banned following allegations that the food contained hazardous substances. Substances like lead and monosodium glutamate were earlier claimed to be beyond permissible levels in Maggi but Nestle strongly contested the claims. Maggi noodles, a household name, contribute nearly 25% of Nestle India's revenue.

"They collected samples for testing and asked to beef up manpower as headcount was significantly reduced following the Maggi fiasco. They also asked us to fumigate the plant and get it ready from a hygiene point of view," a vendor of Maggi told the Indian Express daily.

The noodles manufacturing units are getting ready for resuming production and the supply chains are being re-energised to ensure smooth transition from the setback. The company is expected to target the rural market in its comeback. As soon as the news about Nestle's resurgence emerged, the shares in the company have also gone up.

The multinational is also looking to introduce several variants as part of its return in order to make the most of the vast Indian market. Shortly after the Bombay High Court removed the nationwide ban on Maggi by citing the latest test results, Nestle said in a statement: "We have always maintained that Maggi noodles are safe. The company has conducted over 3,500 tests representing over 200 million packs in both national as well as international accredited laboratories and all reports are clear. In addition to these, various countries including USA, the UK, Singapore, Australia and others have found Maggi noodles manufactured in India safe for consumption."