DSM Fresh Foods Limited's Board of Directors held its first meeting for Financial Year 2026-27 on April 03, 2026, approving significant financial arrangements worth Rs 25 crore. The meeting, which commenced at 03:57 P.M. and concluded at 04:05 P.M., focused on two major financial decisions under Regulation 30 of SEBI LODR Regulations.

Board Approvals and Financial Arrangements

The board meeting resulted in the approval of substantial financial commitments involving Standard Chartered Bank. The directors considered and approved key proposals that will impact the company's financial structure and its relationship with associated entities.

Loan Facility Details

The board approved a proposal for availing a loan facility of Rs. 20,00,00,000 from Standard Chartered Bank. This substantial funding arrangement represents a significant financial commitment for the company and indicates potential expansion or operational requirements. The loan facility approval was granted without any conditional requirements mentioned in the board resolution.

Corporate Guarantee Arrangement

In addition to the loan facility, the board approved providing a corporate guarantee of Rs. 5,00,00,000 to Standard Chartered Bank for Avyom Foodtech Private Limited. This guarantee arrangement is subject to shareholder approval in a General Meeting, indicating the company's commitment to supporting associated entities while maintaining proper corporate governance protocols.

Regulatory Compliance

The company fulfilled its disclosure obligations under Regulation 30 read with Schedule III of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015. Managing Director Deepanshu Manchanda, holding DIN 07108044, signed the regulatory filing on April 04, 2026, ensuring timely communication to the stock exchanges and stakeholders about these material developments.

DSM Fresh Foods Limited (Zappfresh) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a farm operator in Ghaziabad as part of its strategy to strengthen backward integration and build a more reliable sourcing ecosystem. The partnership represents a significant step in the company's efforts to create a structured farm-to-fork model that ensures transparency, efficiency, and long-term sustainability in sourcing.

Partnership Details

The collaboration enables Zappfresh to directly procure fish from aquaculture farms with specific operational parameters:

Strategic Objectives

The MoU aims to address key challenges in the fish and seafood category through comprehensive supply chain integration. According to Managing Director Deepanshu Manchanda, "Fish & seafood is already a meaningful part of our business, and we see it becoming significantly larger over time. The challenge in this category is not demand, it's supply consistency. By strengthening our presence at the farm level, we are solving for exactly that."

The initiative supports Zappfresh's larger strategy to move fish and seafood contribution from ~20% towards ~30% of its portfolio while building better control over quality, pricing, and supply.

Implementation Framework

Under the partnership agreement, Zappfresh will provide comprehensive support to enhance farm operations:

• Demand visibility and assured offtake for farm production
• Branding and traceability support at farm level
• Quality standardisation processes and monitoring
• Technical inputs to improve productivity and operational efficiency
• Integration into processing, cold chain, and distribution network

Operational Benefits

The collaboration focuses on maintaining proper farming practices, production records, and regular quality monitoring to create a stable and scalable sourcing model. This farm-level integration is designed to strengthen supply reliability, reduce sourcing volatility, and drive operational efficiencies through greater procurement control.

Future Expansion Plans

Zappfresh plans to expand similar collaborations across key sourcing regions to deepen its farm-level presence and build a scalable, transparent sourcing network. The company views such initiatives as important for the evolution of India's organised food ecosystem, particularly as demand for high-quality, traceable food products continues to grow.

Manchanda emphasized that "over time, this level of integration will define the difference between a trading business and a scaled, high-quality food platform," highlighting the strategic importance of backward integration in building a sustainable competitive advantage in the fresh and frozen food market.