ITC Agro-Tech has made large-scale arrangements to this venture, which it calls `the first true business-to-consumer E-commerce project in the country'. Says company vice-president, Sachid Madan, "The product is only available through Net." The company just delivered the first order, from Sangli in Maharashtra on last Tuesday.

While the HongKong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) scrutinises credit cards for their validity, Blue Dart takes care of distribution of popcorn. Satyam Infoway's back-end system is put to use in both cases. Thus, when an order is placed on Satyam's home page, first the credit card is validated. The order is transferred to the ITC system and passed on to Blue Dart for delivery. The delivery will take place ina period of maximum three days.

The company has fixed the minimum quantity as three bags, costing around Rs 89. "We bear the distribution charge, making it attractive," Madan said.

ITC Agro has also organised contests to attract Netizens on indiatimes.com and tweentimes.com. The contest is a three part one; first a series of questions on movies, then on sports and finally on television serials. Music CDs are being given as prizes. More prizes are in store as the company may even offer watches to winners.

The product, Act II will be imported from Golden Valley Microwave Foods, USA, which is a division of ConAgra Inc. ConAgra sells more than one billion bags of microwave popcorn every year in 20 countries, with India now becoming the 21st country to join the corn carnival. ITC Agro-Tech claims that this would probably be the first FMCG product whose national launch is taking place on the Internet.

Act II will initially be available in three flavours: natural, salted (but without butter), and butterlover's (with lots of butter). The product will be available in two pack sizes 50 gms and 99 gms. The special introductory prices are Rs 19 for the 50 gms and Rs 29 for the 99 gms pack. According to the company, Act II will offer high quality popcorn to Indian consumers for the first time and will help them use their microwave ovens more.

Microwave popcorn is very convenient as it takes just three to five minutes to make. The food item was first invented in the 1940 in the US and today, it commands sales worth $240 million in that country.

As per the advertising stratgy, ITC Agro-Tech has decided to launch and advertise ACT II only on the Net. The product will be projected as a more hot, fluffy and delicious than the popcorn available at most cinema halls and corner kiosks.

The company expects microwave popcorn to be popular with couch-potates addicted to the Net or television. According to the company, studies have shown that there is a high correlation between microwave popcorn and PC ownership. Now,there's food for thought.