Regional foods continue to rule breakfast tables

Even as the Indian packaged food market goes through a protein revolution, and gut-friendly products like Greek yoghurt gain favour, when it comes to breakfast, a large number of urban Indians are still choosing the traditional dishes over western items.

- AKSHARA SRIVASTAVA

iD Fresh Food started selling rice batter for dosa and idli in 2005, identifying a white space in the packaged food market. In the 20 years since, the brand has grown to a revenue of ₹681.38 crore in 2024-25 (FY25) while recording a net profit of 50.75 crore in the same period.

"Over the last two years, we have witnessed double-digit growth, supported by both an increase in household penetration and higher consumption among existing consumers. The category has benefited from a steady influx of new users," Rajat Diwakar, chief executive officer (CEO) India at iD Fresh Food told Business Standard.

According to a recent FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) pulse report by market researcher Worldpanel by Numerator (formerly Kantar Worldpanel), ready-to-cook (RTC) mixes is among the two categories to double its volumes in the last two years, adding 18 million new households during the period.

"Primarily driven by batters and mixes that are ready to be cooked, the category is a high potential one for the next decade," the report stated.