8/14/04 INDIA - Kuok Group of Singapore, owned by Forbes billionairetycoon Robert Kuok, is setting up two wholly owned subsidiaries formanufacturing, processing and trading edible oils in India.

The Kuok Group owns the South China Morning Post newspaper, hotel chainShangri-La, and has investments in trading, finance, property, shipping,manufacturing and retail.

The group has already begun registering a slew of its popular food brands,including Simply K and Blue Team, in the country to sell everything fromedible oils and milk products, to biscuits, flour, packaged water, sugar,beverages and vanaspati.

Kuok has only had a trading tie-up till now with the Mumbai-based LibertyOil Mills. Sources said the MNC has conducted a market survey for brandedoils in India and has begun recruiting local talent.

The company is hoping to make a mark in the Indian market over the nextsix months, sources said.

The entry of Kuok Oils and Grains in the Indian packaged foods marketshould change the market dynamics for other MNCs like Cargill, Bunge, andArcher Daniel Midlands.