Future Group's retailer Pantaloon has said it is considering launching its own label products outside of India, driven by the growing popularity of these items. Devendra Chawla, Head of Private Brands, explained that the group had been receiving enquiries from Indians living abroad, particularly in the US and said: "We are working on it (exports) and will see if we can do something. The probabilities are close to it."

The group currently offers private label items in 55 categories ranging from food to consumer electronics. Chawla said that the company plans to focus more on sales of FMCG own labels. He said: "In private brands, our logistics costs will be 6-7% while FMCGs (national brands) have 20-25%. We will be having an advantage of 14-18%. On average, private brands are expected to improve our margins by 10-15%."

The group recently launched the 'Ektaa' (unity) private label range of spices, cereals, flour, pickles, regional snacks and other products and expects sales from this label to amount to Rs3bil within two years.

Kishor Biyani’s acumen at picking top talent in India Inc

The head of Future Group, Kishore Biyani, has been luring in the pick-of-the-lot of top managers to assist in building up the Future Group brand. The latest addition is V Vaidyanathan who has left ICICI after 10 years to build the financial services business of the Future Group. In the industry circles this is being viewed as a managerial coup as Vidyanathan is a highly rated catch. In 2010, seven managers of high standing have joined the $2bil retail group. Expect more big signings, says Biyani, CEO, Future Group. "We have identified another five to seven top people in the country, and we are working on getting them," he says. Biyani likes to invoke Hindu mythology to explain how he manages to constantly convince the best managers to come work for him. "You take care of Lakshmi (wealth), Saraswati (intellectual growth) and Durga (emotional well-being) for them," he says. "The rest, like productivity and commitment, is sure to follow." Clearly, his package is so attractive and the work so challenging that it is difficult for the most to refuse. The magic words that do the trick is 'intra-preneursip' or making employees co-owners. Vaidyanathan is likely to pick up a stake in the financial services business he will be spearheading. Another who was pulled in by Biyani's 'intra-preneur' pitch was R Radhakrishnan, the ex-CEO of Reliance Retail's hypermarket business, who was involved in setting up the Reliance Fresh format and had earlier worked with Foodworld Supermarkets and Hindustan Unilever. He heads Future Fresh Foods, where he has a stake, the exact amount of which is being worked out. Mark Ladham, president of the home business, Future Group, was roped-in in a similar manner. Vibha Paul Rishi, former PepsiCo high-flyer joined the Future Group this March, as group strategy & consumer director, and leads marketing, communication and customer strategy across group companies. Biyani says,"My job is to engage intellect and stimulate thought, and understand human dynamics in the path to growth. There are believers and there are non-believers. It is my job to convert non-believers. It is important to share the Future Group's vision to grow,"
Even as the group attracts rich talent from outside, both new hands and returnees, it has been successful at growing talent within. Several senior managers who have been with the group for six to eight years occupy key operational posts.