India’s packaged food sector is turning up the heat—literally—as major brands like Nestlé, PepsiCo, McDonald’s, and Tata Consumer respond to soaring demand for bold, spicy flavours. Driven by Gen Z and millennials seeking adventurous taste profiles, brands are reengineering products with higher chilli content and regional spice blends, triggering what industry leaders call a full-fledged “spice revolution.”
Spicy innovations are popping up across categories—from Nestlé’s Maggi Spice Plan and Tata’s Ching’s Secret to Natural’s spicy guava ice cream and McDonald’s Korean range. “We’ve seen a significant consumer shift where spice is no longer limited to traditional formats. Global chilli experiences are now in demand,” said Saakshi Verma Menon, CMO – Foods, PepsiCo India.
PepsiCo has launched hotter variants of Lay’s and Kurkure tailored to regional palates, while Wow! Momo reports that its spicy momos now make up nearly 30% of sales. “One in every three new product trials over the past year has been in the spicy category,” said Sagar Daryani, cofounder and CEO of Wow! Momo Foods.
McDonald’s, ITC, Burger King, Hindustan Unilever, and KFC are also spicing up their offerings. “Our new Korean menu delivers an extra kick of flavour that Indian customers love,” said a spokesperson from McDonald’s India (West & South).
With over 60% of India’s youth falling under the Gen Z and Gen Alpha brackets, spice is becoming a cultural phenomenon. Nestlé India’s outgoing MD Suresh Narayanan noted that their Maggi Spice Plan also focuses on spice traceability, including chilli, pepper, and cardamom.
Even spice and ready-to-cook brands like ZOFF Foods are adapting, offering region-specific spice mixes in convenient formats. “Consumers are asking for complexity and variety in their spice experience, not just heat,” said ZOFF’s cofounder Akash Agrawalla.
As competition intensifies and consumer palettes evolve, packaged food makers are betting big on spice to fire up growth in a challenging market.