ITC Ltd (BOM:500875)

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Prashanth Sagar

Business Profile

ITC (Bombay Stock Exchange:500875) is the largest private sector cigarette company with a diversified portfolio comprising hotels, paperboards & specialty papers, packaging, agri-business, packaged foods and confectionery, branded apparel, greeting cards and other FMCG products. ITC is the market leader in its businesses of cigarettes, hotels, paperboards, packaging and agri-exports.

ITC`s diversified status originates from its corporate strategy aimed at creating multiple drivers of growth anchored on its time-tested core competencies i.e., its distribution reach, brand-building capabilities, effective supply chain management and service skills in hoteliering. ITC`s agri-business is one of the country`s biggest FOREX earners with exports of over USD 2 billion. The company`s e-Choupal initiative has also proved to be successful exercise evolved around empowering the farmer. This transformational strategy, which has already become the subject matter of a case study at Harvard Business School, is expected to progressively create for ITC a huge rural distribution infrastructure.

It has entered into retailing of apparels leveraging its trademark brands such as Wills, Wills Classic and John Player. ITC`s hotels business comprises 40 owned and managed properties spread across India. It also has marketing and reservation arrangement with the Sheraton Corporation, the reputed international hotel chain.

ITC is planning to invest around USD 1 billion in strengthening its e-Choupal infrastructure in the next 7-10 years. The company also plans foray into the denim wear for expansion of its apparel business. Further, it has plans of Rs 25,000 million investment in contract farming in Punjab. This will mark the company`s entry in agri-retail in the near future.

ITC owns a 14.95 stake in East India Hotels (EIH) which has given them a profit of over Rs 5000 million over the last ten years.