KUALA LUMPUR: Wipro Unza Holdings (Singapore) will further extend its footprint in China after acquiring China-based fast-moving consumer goods company Zhongshan Ma Er Daily Products Ltd.

Wipro Unza, which is part of New York-listed Wipro’s group of companies, said it had signed a definitive agreement to fully acquire the company, the current market leader in the personal hygiene category in Guangdong and Hainan, in cash.

The acquisition would enable Wipro Unza, which has about 15% share of the market in the two provinces, to defend its market position.

Zhongshan Ma Er currently markets not only personal care products under the Enear, Zici and Vcnic brands, but also fabric care brands, namely Pahnli and Sunew.

“This acquisition is very significant to us as it gives us an [entry] into the lucrative and fast-growing liquid detergent space through the brands that are currently in Zhongshan Ma Er’s portfolio,” Wipro Unza managing director Kumar Chander told reporters here yesterday.

Post-acquisition, Wipro Unza, which recorded 82 million yuan in revenue from its China business in 2007, is set to achieve a run rate of one billion yuan (RM620.5 million). 

The acquisition of Zhongshan Ma Er is the second-largest undertaken by the group, according to Chander, although he declined to reveal the acquisition cost.