New Delhi, March 26 LuLu Group said its Chairman Yusuffali MA met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and briefed him on initiatives undertaken to maintain supply continuity amid the conflict in West Asia, with food supplies to the GCC continuing from India.
The meeting, held at the Prime Minister's official residence in the capital, focused on ongoing efforts to ensure the availability of essential food items across the Gulf region, which is home to a large Indian diaspora and has strong consumption of food products of Indian origin, the group said in a statement.
The discussions also covered the importance of strengthening supply chain continuity and ensuring price stability during the current global challenges, it added.
Yusuffali briefed the Prime Minister on LuLu Group's recent initiatives aimed at supporting food security across its GCC markets.
Prime Minister Modi acknowledged the importance of such initiatives and assured full support from the Government of India to facilitate the smooth export of food products to GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, the statement said.
The group said it has been facilitating large-scale imports of both perishable and non-perishable food products (15,000 tons to date) through a combination of exclusive chartered flights, cargo vessels, and regular shipping services from multiple locations in India.
As many as 34 dedicated chartered flights have arrived so far, and similar numbers are expected in the coming days.
"These efforts are supported by the group's own sourcing and export infrastructure across various Indian states, where production and logistics hubs are operating at enhanced capacity to meet international demand," it said.
LuLu Group, which operates more than 280 hypermarkets across the GCC, is among the major players contributing to food distribution in the region.
India continues to play a crucial role in ensuring a stable and uninterrupted supply of food products to GCC countries, the group said, adding that Indian agricultural and food products are widely consumed by both expatriates and local populations.
The ongoing supply initiatives are also providing timely support to India's food and agriculture sector, enabling farmers, producers, and exporters to efficiently move their produce to international markets during a challenging period, it said.
In his meeting with the Prime Minister, Yusuffali also outlined plans to continue the supply initiatives in the coming weeks, with additional chartered flights and cargo shipments being scheduled to support ongoing demand, the statement added.