Britannia Industries and French cheesemaker Bel have entered into a joint venture to bring nutritious and accessible cheese products to Indian consumers.

Under the agreement, Bel will acquire a 49% stake in Britannia’s wholly owned subsidiary, Britannia Dairy, after which the entity will be renamed Britannia Bel Foods.

Production will take place at the joint venture’s new facility in Ranjangaon, Maharashtra, which is backward-integrated to collect milk from local farmers in the region.

The cheese products will be co-branded using the trademarks ‘Brittania’ and ‘The Laughing Cow’.  Abhishek Sinha, chief business officer, dairy business at Britannia, has been appointed as CEO of the joint venture.

Varun Berry, executive vice-chairman and managing director, Britannia Industries, said: “Britannia’s partnership with Bel Group will enable consumers to enjoy international quality cheese products that will now be made in India. This JV will help the milk farmers of Maharashtra gain consistent and greater market access through our yield-optimised milk collection initiative, which has grown significantly over the last three years.”

Cécile Béliot, Bel Group’s CEO, added: “This strategic partnership with Britannia in India is a new step for Bel Group’s development in Asia, in line with our mission to deliver healthier and more responsible food for all. Thanks to this joint venture, we will accelerate in India, after four years of presence in ‘start-up mode’ which had enabled us to confirm the relevance and the potential of our product offers.”

She added: “We are proud to partner with Britannia. They have an emblematic brand in India and a powerful distribution system. By combining their expertise with our iconic brand The Laughing Cow, and our know-how and knowledge of cheese products, this joint venture is well positioned to offer to all Indian consumers delicious, nutritious and accessible cheese products, and become a leader in the fast-growing Indian cheese market.”

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.