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 Kasthuril & 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 puffs, 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, valued at 42,694.9 crore in 2023, is expected to reach ₹95,521.8 crore by 2032, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.08% during 20242032, according to a January report by research firm IMARC Group.