Industrial visit Report On

Yakult Danone India Pvt. Ltd.

SUBMITTED TO:Ms. NEELAM SARASWAT

SUBMITTED BY:HITESH PRAJAPAT SEMESTER - II ROLL NO. 87

We the students of PGDM-FT 2010-12 batch visited the factory premises of Yakult Danone India located at the industrial area of Sonepat on 8th April, 2011. We reached the plant at about 10 AM and was greeted by Ms. Charu Pandit, the Public Relations Officer of Yakult. The industrial visit was divided into two phases: 1) An introductory presentation on Yakult. 2) The Factory Tour. Ms. Charu gave a presentation about Yakult. It was an informative presentation which emphasized on the history, products and strategies of Yakult.

History of Yakult:
It all began when Dr. Elie Metchnikoff, a Russian Nobel laureate hypothesized that the apparent longevity of Bulgarian peasants was because they consumed large quantities of fermented milk products like curd and buttermilk. He believed that the lactic acid bacteria in these products replaced the harmful organisms found in the intestines and thus reduced the production of toxins that lead to disease and infection. He published the book Prolongation of life where he postulated the theory of longevity without aging. Although later it was realized that the bacteria found in curd have many other health benefits but they do not reach the intestines live in large numbers to impart a significant health benefit. He however set ball rolling for the use of bacteria for improvement of health but none of the strains were ever exploited for their commercial use until Dr. Minoru Shirota discovered Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota in 1930. 1930 1935 1938 1940 Dr. Minoru Shirota succeeds in culturing and utilizing lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota). Yakult is introduced in the Japanese market. Yakult is registered as a trademark. Local offices of the Association for Promotion of Preventive Bacteria Strain Shirota are established in various parts of Japan for the purpose of marketing and distributing Yakult. Yakult Honsha Co. Ltd. is established. (Nishi Hatchobori, Chuo-ku,Tokyo) Research Institute is established in Kyoto. Yakult launches its unique Yakult Ladies system of door-to-door distribution in Japan. Yakult Central Institute for Microbiological Research is established in Kunitachi, Tokyo. Yakult is introduced to the market in a new plastic container.

1955 1963 1967 1968

1972 1981 1998 2005 2007 2008

Program of regular visits to senior citizens by Yakult Ladies begins. Company stock was listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Yakult is approved by the Ministry of Health and Welfare for labeling as Foods for Specified Health Uses (FOSHU). Decision made to enter the Indian market in alliance with Groupe Danone. Production facility of Yakult in Sonepat, Haryana, India completed and product launched in India. Yakult Vietnam Co. Ltd. Begins Operation.

YAKULT IN INDIA:
Yakult Danone India (P) Ltd is a 50:50 JV between Yakult Honsha, Japan and Groupe Danone of France. The JV was formed in 2005 to manufacture and sell probiotic drink Yakult in the Indian market. Yakult was launched in India in 2007, and is presently available in Delhi, NCR, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore. Yakults benefits have been scientifically established through years of research and 30 million people in 32 countries worldwide drink Yakult every day. In India, Yakult is manufactured at a HACCP certified state-of-the-art facility at Rai, Sonepat (Haryana).

WHAT IS YAKULT ?
Yakult is a fermented milk drink containing over 6.5 billion Probiotic (friendly) bacteria Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota. Unlike most bacteria found in normal yoghurt, these Probiotic bacteria are able to survive the acidic environment of the stomach and reach the intestines alive, helps to restore the balance of the friendly bacteria in the gut. The friendly bacteria in Yakult help to improve digestion, build immunity when consumed everyday. Over 30 million people in 32 countries trust Yakult and drink it everyday!

WHAT IS PROBIOTIC DRINK?

A probiotic drink is like a yoghurt drink designed to give the body some much needed good bacteria. Yakult is like a shot of yoghurt meant to contain a higher shot of good bacteria. However is only contains one strain of bacteria and also contains sugar so i personally wouldnt take it,

defeats the purpose According to WHO/FAO, Probiotics are live microorganism which when administrated in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host. Nutritional Fact: Per Serving (65ml) bottle Energy 50kcal Protein 0.8 g Carbohydrates 12g Fat < 0.1g
Added sugars =10g)

Need of It - The health of the human digestive tract is a much more important determinant of vitality than most people realize. Though it runs deep through the center of the body, the digestive tract is actually exposed to the outer environment through the intake of food. Not only that, but through its connection with the liver, whatever is happening in the gut influences the health of the blood and lymph. In addition, the lymphatic system interfaces with the gut; throughout the small intestine are lymphoid tissues called 'peyer's patches,' which connect with the lymphatic system. If the microorganisms in the small intestine are out of balance, they can affect the health of the whole body. Benefits of It - Several studies have shown that probiotics help to restore the imbalance of the intestinal microflora and their regular consumption can strengthen the body's natural defenses. Research also suggests that probiotic bacteria may mediate a variety of health effects such as alleviation of lactose intolerance, enhancing bowel function, prevention of several types of cancer, cholesterol lowering, lowering of blood pressure, improving immune function and reducing infections, reducing inflammation, improving mineral absorption, preventing growth of harmful bacteria, fighting off diseases like Candida and eczema, and many more like;
y y y y

Reach the intestines alive and transiently colonize the gut Improve the intestinal barrier function Stimulate systemic and mucosal host immunity Suppress growth of pathogenic bacteria and inhibit the production of harmful substances

SOME YAKULT PRODUCTS (INCLUDING COSMETIC AND PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCT)

Yakult deals with the following three product lines: y Health (probiotic) drinks

y y

Cosmetics (specially beauty products) Pharmaceuticals.

STRATEGIES:
Yakult has a unique selling strategy of using Yakult Ladies who help in distribution of products right to the consumers doorsteps. In Yakult they are know as Yakult Ambassadors. In 1955, Yakult ladies started giving the glass bottles of cosmetic ranges. Presently there are 8000 yakult ladies across the globe; they basically do 40% of the sales. This system is not just about the selling the product but a reflection of the companys objective of promoting good health to one and all.

COMMON PROBIOTICS:
y y y y Lactobacillus species. Bifid bacterium species Streptococcus thermophilus Sacchromyces boulardii.

Initial investment was of more than Rs. 136 crores; currently they produce 1 million bottles every day which is largest manufacture process throughout in India. Probiotic drink is approved as Food for Specified Health Uses. Yakult is a FOSHO product in Japan, scientifically tested and approved by Ministry of Health of Japan.

DISTRIBUTION PROCESS : Home delivery by Yakult Ladies

Ever since this system was introduced in 1963, Yakult has successfully used it to deliver its products worldwide through a network of over 80,000 ladies. This system was created to help customers fully understand the benefits of probiotics and bring Yakult products to them every day. In India too there are 150 Yakult ladies involved in this unique distribution system. They all are called as Ambassador Of Yakult.

Retail availability
Yakult is available at selected supermarkets and high volume retailers, bakeries, chemists, hospitals and small retailers in Delhi, NCR, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore who have an established cold storage facility. It is their endeavour to make Yakult available to consumers at all times, anywhere.

PRODUCTION PROCESS:
In the second part of our industrial visit we went for factory visit. There we observed various stages to produce a probiotic drink Yakult, i.e.
y y y y y y y y

Mixing of Raw Materials Storage Tank/Dissolving Tank Homogenization machine/Blending Tank Injection Moulding Room Printing Machine Filling Machine/Sealing machine Packaging Machine Refrigeration Room

QUALITY CONTROL during production process is of very high standard wherein:

y y y y y

More than 100 tests/checks are carried out to ensure that the final product tastes right Special care is taken to safeguard the viability of live Yakult bacteria. Workers have to wear special protective clothes. Workers sanitize their hands and pass through the air shower entering the production area. Bottling and filling area is controlled with germ-free air.

y y y

In one hour there is production of 45000 bottles. Each batch contains 50 bottles and every batch of Yakult produced is monitored 24 hours before it is dispatched for sale. Frequent testing at our on-site quality control division makes sure that each bottle of Yakult has 6.5billion beneficial bacteria i.e. Lactobacillus casei strain shirota and the product is of the highest standard, right up till the date of expiry.

Students were given a bottle of the drink to taste. Also queries relating to the plant were resolved in a satisfactory way. There were only thirty employees in the factory highlighting the fact that men can be replaced by machines and work can still be done efficiently. The 80% area of the factory premises is covered with green belt.

MY EXPERIENCE ABOUT YAKULT DANONE INDIA Pvt. Ltd.

It was a great experience of the visit, I learned about the benefits and importance of the probiotics in our life. Learned about the strategies which we study in our PGDM course how they are practically implied, how to do a proper plant layout and also the use of skilled labour with the new advanced technology. Ms. Charu Pandit gave us a sound about the plant and the production process. The concept of the YAKULT ladies is awesome like this they are generating employment for ladies and also doing the marketing and selling of their product efficiently and effectively. Over all the entire trip was very beneficial to all of us.