Makhana to millets, snack makers tap into mindful munching

Urban Indians’ appetite for healthier snacking is growing—and no food is off limits as snack-makers race to cash in on the trend.

- Vaeshnavi Kasturil & Soumya Gupta

After whole wheat and superfood makhana, it's millets—jowar, raagi, bajra, ramdana, cheena, and saama—on their radar.

This week, PepsiCo's Kurkure brand launched jowar puffs, marking a significant move as the first national brand to offer a millet-based product for adults at the mass-market prices of ₹10 and ₹20. The company’s bet is that consumer habits have shifted to create a demand for what it calls “mindful snacking.”

“During the covid-19 pandemic, we saw an acceleration of the trend of going back to traditional wisdom,” said Aastha Bhasin, PepsiCo India's marketing director for Kurkure and Doritos. The new jowar pufis, she explained, “are delivering something mindful, on the back of a ‘rooted’ grain, while giving back to the Indian agricultural community.”

Bhasin clarified that this new product doesn't signal a departure from Kurkure's core identity as a fun, indulgent snack. “It is by no means a departure from who Kurkure is,” she said. “It is about offering variety.”

India’s snacks market, is increasingly looking for snacks with ‘functional benefits’ such as higher protein or more energy, but without compromising on taste.

Mint reported last year, citing a report by financial advisory firm Avendus, that the ‘health food’ market could grow up to $30 billion by 2026.