Kurkure PepsiCo India

Operating leverage, product mix to offset raw material pressures, say brokerages

Kurkure, a brand born in and made for India, has built its persona around being rooted in local tastes

The company finesses the regional game for Lay's and Kurkure, acquires local tastes and habits to beat back competition from home grown snack makers

The mascot helps drive home the brand's positioning, Khayaal toh chatpata hai, which translates into challenging established norms around family roles, in conversations laced with humour

'John Doe' order is neither practical nor prudent

The company is taking counter-measures in assuring the safety of Kurkure to people

Food and beverages major PepsiCo India is banking on regionalisation of its salty snacks portfolio to achieve higher sales.The company, which derives half its Rs 8,130 crore sales from its food business, will have at least 20 new regional flavours of Kurkure, its flagship brand in traditional Indian snacks.Traditional Indian snacks is a Rs 7,000 crore market. PepsiCo and ITC are the two major players in the category. PepsiCo serves western snacks through its brand Lays."Consumer preference for snacks is different in different regions of the country. We are focusing on bringing in new regional Kurkure variants to cater to different sets of consumers," said Partho Chakrabarti, vice-president, snacks, PepsiCo India.The beverages market in India is facing subdued demand as consumers shift away from colas. Last year, beverage makers had to cut production during the peak April-July months because of low demand. However, the Indian snacks segment is growing with more consumers coming on board