Rallis India Ltd. Honored With the 2008 Frost & Sullivan Growth Strategy Excellence Award for the Indian Crop Protection Chemicals Market

MUMBAI, India, February 16 /PRNewswire/ — Rallis India Limited, a Tata
Enterprise, was conferred the Growth Strategy Excellence Award in the Indian
Crop Protection Chemicals Market. The award was presented to Rallis for
excellence in sales strategy. It recognized Rallis’s ability to best perceive
consumer needs and develop marketing strategies that elevate the brand’s
quality, style, and image to create an overall value perception. In the
$1,620 million Indian market, Rallis has a market share of around 15 percent
and is the most recognized brand among end users.

Congratulating Rallis on getting the Award in this category, Mamta
Wadhwa, Sr. Director, Chemicals Material and Foods Practice, Frost &
Sullivan, South Asia and Middle East said, “Rallis has received the award for
strategy encompassing its Zonal Profit Center that has decentralized the
decision-making, resulting in decrease in the turnaround time. Rallis has
also reduced operational costs with regular process improvisation. This has
resulted in the company’s consistent growth.”

Rallis’s unique sales strategy includes its distribution network covering
around 80 percent of India’s districts, technical collaborations with global
majors and several promotional avenues to increase market share and revenue
growth. Reaching farmers with focus group discussions and one-to-one
technical support has added to the better reach of the brand and aided in
proper usage of pesticides. The company over the years has gained good
understanding of the needs of end users and has incorporated them in its
marketing and product avenues.

The crop protection chemicals market in India is on a higher growth stage
compared to the past five years and is characterized by high-level
consolidation. The seasonality and the dependence on various external factors
make it difficult to derive growth projections in this market. The industry
witnessed double-digit growth of about 10 percent for the year 2007 and is
expected to grow at a CAGR of 7 percent over the next 4-5 years. The industry
is witnessing an increasing trend towards usage of effective chemicals at
lower dosages and usage of eco friendly options.

On receiving the award Mr. V Shankar, Managing Director and CEO, Rallis
India Limited said, “I am pleased Rallis has been recognised by Frost &
Sullivan for Excellence in Growth Strategy in the Indian Crop Protection
Market. Rallis has over a century old connect with the Indian farmers and we
continually strive to serve them better through value creating products and
superior serrvices. The success of our recent offerings such as Applaud and
Takumi reflects the strength of this relationship.This recognition
acknowldeges the contribution Rallis makes to enriching farmer lives and we
are well poised on our growth agenda.”

The recipient of this award is evaluated on specific predefined criteria
through primary and secondary research methods, which include tracking
companies’ market revenues; those exhibiting significant growth are noted for
their strategy implementation. Revenues are then compared year-on-year to
monitor growth patterns. When a company continues to show high growth rates
in unit shipments, revenues and profitability, it is a candidate for the
Frost & Sullivan Growth Strategy Excellence Award.

In addition to the above methodology, specific criteria are used to
determine final competitor rankings within the industry. These include
ability to grow in a mature market, unique sales strategy, technological
innovation, and brand image.

About Frost and Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to
accelerate growth and achieve best in class positions in growth, innovation
and leadership. The company’s Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and
the CEO’s Growth Team with disciplined research and best practice models to
drive the generation, evaluation and implementation of powerful growth
strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages over 45 years of experience in
partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment
community from 31 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership,
please visit: http://www.frost.com

About Rallis:

Rallis India Limited is one of India’s leading agrochemical companies
with a century-old tradition of servicing rural markets and a comprehensive
portfolio of pesticides for Indian farmers. The Company is known for its deep
understanding of Indian agriculture, sustained relationships with farmers,
quality agrochemicals, branding and marketing expertise along with its strong
product portfolio.

During the financial year 2007-08, the Company posted Profit after Tax of
Rs. 125.19 Crore and Revenues of Rs. 760.74 Crore. Rallis also significantly
improved its EBITDA margin to 12 percent in the year 2007-08 as against 7
percent in the previous year.

Rallis recently posted a profit before tax (before exceptional items) of
Rs 105 Crore for the first nine months of the fiscal 2008-09; recording a
growth of 81 percent over the last year’s PBT from operations of Rs 58 Crore.
Rallis improved its profitability with an EBITDA margin of 17 percent during
the first nine months of the current year against 13 percent over the same
period last year.

    Media Contact:

    Remi Chatterjee
    Corporate Communications - South Asia
    P: +91-22-4001-3419
    F: +91-22-2832-4713
    E: remi.chaterjee@frost.com

    Nimisha Iyer
    Corporate Communications - South Asia and Middle East
    P: +91-22-4001-3404
    F: +91-22-2832-4713
    E: niyer@frost.com

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan (India) Pvt. Ltd.