The trouble with being number one in the world, in anything, is that it takes a certain mentality to attain that position, and that is something of a driving, perfectionist attitude. Probably, perfection is one word, which sums up the essence of Stefano Pelle, Managing Director of Perfetti van Melle India. A man known for his marketing strategies, Pelle is among the few expats who have written a success story for himself and his company in the highly competitive Indian market. Launching a foreign confectionery brand in India is one of the toughest tasks even for a seasoned marketing professional but for Pelle it was a challenge, which he faced with a smile on his face.

Fighting against the low-priced local products on the one hand, and the aggressive MNC brands on the other, Pelle successfully gave his product a conspicuous presence in the Indian market. So, what was that which attracted Perfetti to India in the first place? "The first thing that we look at when we enter a particular market is how big the current market is and what is the potential of that market," Pelle once said in an interview. But fighting constraints and bottlenecks and changing mindset of Indian populace to accepting newer confectionery brand, Pelle was the main force that gave gum products and candies their rightful place in the Indian market.

He has helped India appreciate good quality confectionery and develop a taste, which was hitherto, an unknown delicacy for the Indian middle class. In short, Pelle build a brand and created consumers for his products - the most difficult job for any professional. And after 10 years of Perfetti's presence in India, more than anybody, it's Pelle who is now a satisfied man for having achieved what he wanted.

In the two years till 2004, the company has doubled its sales turnover to Rs 400 crore, posting a cumulative annual growth rate of 36 per cent against an average industry growth rate of just about four per cent.
So, what is the secret behind Perfetti's success in India? It is probably, people like Pelle who have consolidated company's gain and given it a new direction. But then trust Pelle to say that the experience has been rather pleasant even in the face of this. Of the 10 years of Perfetti's presence in India, Pelle has been heading the operations for seven years now. And for this Italian with a disarming smile, India is just like a second home.