Danone eyeing Indian acquisition: Report

French food group Danone is looking for acquisitions in India and baby food maker Dumex India could be a target, French daily Les Echos said on Monday.  

Danone declined to comment. "We do not comment on rumours," a Danone spokesperson said.                                           

French daily Les Echos said that Dumex India would be a natural target for Danone, which already owns most Dumex operations in Asia as part of its acquisition of Dutch baby food group Numico in 2007.   

"After Unimilk, will Danone pursue its expansion in the BRICs? We think so, and this is a good growth booster for the future," CM-CIC analysts said in a note, referring to Brazil, Russia, India and China.                                           

Earlier this year Danone, the world's largest yoghurt maker, merged with Russian dairy group Unimilk, securing 21 percent of the fast-growing Russian dairy market.

Danone -- whose last transformational deal was the 12.3 billion-euro ($17.18 billion) purchase of Numico -- has said it was looking at expanding through bolt-on deals in dairy, medical nutrition, baby food and emerging countries.