Interview: Nikhil Sharma, Managing Director, Perfetti Van Melle India

From 5%, the non-₹1 price points now constitute 30% of our portfolio

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The sales of candies, toffees, and chewing gum bars in India have stagnated over the last couple of years following a record-breaking fiscal year 2022. With over 25% share, market leader Perfetti Van Melle India is battling rising raw material prices on the one hand and consumer demand for "healthy" products on the other. In this interview, Managing Director and company long-timer Nikhil Sharma talks to Alokananda Chakraborty about how to keep the excitement alive in an impulse-driven category. Edited excerpts:

Perfetti Van Melle has been in India for three decades, and most consumer categories have pivoted towards premiumisation. What has been your strategy and experience?

Perfetti's premiumisation journey in India has been a transformative one. In 2018 we did a comprehensive demand-space study that identified untapped opportunities. This study bolstered our conviction that Indian consumers are increasingly receptive to premium offerings. In the seven years since, we have made significant strides in premiumising our portfolio. From the non-₹1 price points constituting merely 5% of our portfolio to today at 30%. While we are happy with this achievement, this is just the beginning; our ambitions stretch far beyond.