Spicy, sweet, tangy Korean fusion flavours sweep India

The K-wave is clearly a mega trend that encompasses food, beauty, content and music

- Suneera Tandon

Korean culture has conquered Indian screens and is now invading snack shelves. From banana chips with a spicy Korean twist to barbecue-flavoured noodles, large, fast-moving consumer goods companies are riding the 'Korean wave' to make fusion flavours mainstream. Once premium and niche, these products are now sold at local kirana stores—Korean chips start at ₹20 for a 37g pack and noodles at ₹55 for 75g—targeting internet-savvy young consumers eager for new tastes.

The K-wave is clearly a mega trend that encompasses food, beauty, content and music, and it is one that companies cannot afford to ignore; other mega trends are health and convenience, said Anand Ramanathan, partner and consumer industry leader at Deloitte South Asia. "Indian consumers are clearly more exposed today, thanks to international travel and more content consumption. Hence, for companies to respond quickly to these mega trends is the best way to ensure market share is sustained," he said.