May 13, 2021
NILON brings variations of packaged spice mixes from the new range of western blended spices and hence you get Piri-piri, chowmein, pasta, garlic bread, noodles, and pizza masalas.
Western blended spices are growing at almost double the pace of Indian blended spices at 18-20 per cent and the market is valued at around Rs. 1,000 crore. The largest player is Maggi’s Masala-e-Magic which has an umami taste profile. Smith & Jones from Capital Foods also offers Pasta and Peri Peri masala in sachets like Nilon’s.
These fancy flavours have come from restaurants and have entered households in small-town markets like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.
Dipak Sanghavi, managing director of Nilon’s says that these sachets priced at Rs. 5 are aimed at catering to the growing appetite of Indians (especially children) for global cuisines while also easing the lives of Indian mothers. The newer generation wants it and hence it becomes a powerful tool in the hands of mothers.”
Currently, Nilon vends around 18-20 lakh sachets of pasta masala every month in an interior market like Bihar, whereas large cities like Mumbai and Delhi obviously have a higher consumption of western cuisine but they are not the brand’s core markets. Nilon’s has traditionally catered to the hinterland.
Apart from its pickles business, the company mainly offers ingredient products (like vermicelli, pasta, soya chunks, etc.) and recipes (like blended spices, sauces and chutneys). It also offers instant pasta and soup. Pickles alone used to contribute 50 per cent of sales around five years back. Today, pickles account for around 25 per cent of the company’s business despite growing as a category. The numbers are mainly driven by the growth in recipe products.
Given the high market retention rate, the brand’s latest ad campaign featuring star Pankaj Tirupati is aimed at generating more trials while also assuring the usage of quality ingredients.
However, unlike Maggi and Smith & Jones, Nilon’s has decided to put forth a much wider portfolio of flavours. The goal is to completely own the space of Western Blended Spices. Nilon’s Magical masala directly counters Nestlé’s Maggi Magic Masala.
The sachet servings are designed to keep the mixes fresh while countering the hygroscopic nature (tends to absorb moisture) of spices. These will be sold mostly in traditional retail alongside a focus on e-commerce.