The Rs. 850-crore (Rs. 8.5 billion) Amrit Group, after emerging among India's top players in poultry breeding, hatchery and feed business, is set to enter the processed chicken market next month with 50 percent of the products targeted at exports.

A top official at Amrit Group said that the company's products will be processed and marketed under the brand Fresco Pollo, or fresh chicken, with the target of achieving a turnover of Rs. 1,000 crore during the current fiscal.

Amitava Sarkar, the company's business head for food processing, said," We are foraying into the processed chicken market soon. It's a huge market and there are not many players. In India, only a minuscule portion of chicken is processed."

Adding that exports will, however, start in another eight-nine months, Sarkar said," We have a plan to keep 50 percent of our processed products for the domestic market and to export the rest."

The product will be initially launched in Kolkata followed by Delhi and its neighbouring areas, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Jamshedpur, Siliguri, Bangalore and Darjeeling. "In 2011 we also plan to have some signature shops."

Sarkar said that the company would look at Asian countries like Japan, China, Malaysia, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar as initial target of export at the beginning and then would spread its wings to the Middle East and Europe.

From entire range of chicken salami and sausages to seekh kabab, shammi kabab and roasted chicken, Sarkar said that Amrit will have several value-added and ready-to-cook chicken products.

The group also has 12 hatching units spread across West Bengal and two breeding farms along with a state-of-the-art poultry meat processing plant.

Amrit Group announced its entry into the dairy market in August 2009 with the launch of regular, toned and double-toned cow's milk under its flagship 'Amrit Fresh' brand. (With Input from Agencies)