Nov 21, 2020
We are usually enthusiastic about food from outside India we indulge from western to the Mediterranean to Chinese. We even swear on foreign food brands, from cheese to snacks, to snacks to ice creams, But have we settled down to see how Indian food brands and food rank in other countries?
Well, the top brands in India’s lists, Amul is the only food brand that features prominently in all the lists, at times accompanied by fellow dairy companies like Mother Dairy and Nandini. Britannia features in some. In beverages, Paperboat has established itself as a niche Indian drink brand and sometimes makes the cut.
Haldiram, MTR, and Bikaji had more visibility than business but remember when Haldiram, the leading ready-to-eat snack brand, first opened their outlet at Delhi airport, almost everyone there was seen with their hamper. It is a dependable brand to consume and gift.
India is a bouquet of traditional Mithai brands synonymous with the regions they come from, be it Agra’s Petha or Pune’s Bakarwadi or Odisha’s Rasgulla or Hyderabad’s Karachi Biscuits. All of them are slowly stepping out beyond their city limits and can be found at airports and online shops. They remain a favourite with the global diaspora driven by nostalgia.
The question is, why does the Indian food industry not have strong homegrown food-based consumer brands? New brands are hardly seen and none have come up in the last two-three decades that can stand next to Amul in terms of brand value. There are two ways to look at it. First, it clearly points out the gap in branding and the on-ground presence of large food-based brands.
Like yogurt has a great international presence but India that has curd and so many curd-based cuisines there are hardly any Desi brands innovating in a way that they look ahead while being rooted in the Indian palate.
The Indian food market is spread and has no big international players. This implies that at least when it comes to food; we are consuming local to a large extent. The pandemic has given this another shot in the arm as we see a lot more local packaged food being sold.
India is the largest producer of milk, mangoes, bananas, guavas, papayas and the second-largest producer of vegetables and marine products.
While dairy brands are there, the juice brands or any other products that are produced using fresh produce; more often than not, they are coming from an international brand.
And the great Indian spice brands, no innovation are seen to elite it in the global market as most of them are merely packaged products. Envision a spice-based ice-cream or summer drinks or Ayurveda-based products.
The Ministry of Food Processing Industries allows 100 percent FDI in the food sector with many schemes that promise easy credit availability. Plus two food technology institutes in Haryana and Tamil Nadu promises a supply of trained professionals and opportunities for research. In addition to The ‘Make in India’ mission that gives opportunities for entrepreneurs as well as investors. This can the turning point for potential start-ups in this space.
Fresh creativity and innovation from entrepreneurs and smart execution of government schemes, India can be a hub of top-notch food brands from India.