1. Devendra Chawla, president (Food Bazaar) at the country's largest retailer Future Group, says Indian
consumers are upgrading their mithai consumption with chocolates, leading to premiumisation in the
category.
"Actually, a reverse category creation is happening with more Indians eating out where they complete
their meal with a dessert. Several Indian homes now have chocolates as dessert which increases the
frequency of consumption," he says. Chawla says dark chocolate is the fastest-growing category in
modern trade, growing at more than double the overall category over the last six months.
Various chocolate companies are already in the product development process and are giving
consumers options ranging from low calorie, energy bars to vegetarian chocolates.
In March, Parle relaunched its Kismi toffee as a romance inducer targeting young adults, which
immediately doubled its sales, Parle Products group product manager B Krishna Rao says.
Nestle has launched a dark chocolate with a sweet taste specifically designed for Indian consumers.
Popular premium chocolate brands like Mondelez's Toblerone and Lindt entered the Indian market
last year and, along with market leader Ferrero Rocher, they are expanding distribution beyond
modern retail to kiranas.
ITC too is targeting the adult consumer. It recently launched a sugar-free 'mint-o Ultra mintz'. "While
we try to deliver a universal taste for the candies, the success of our Mint-o range has made us focus
more on adult-specific products," ITC divisional chief executive (foods) Chitranjan Dar says.
Cadbury India has been one of the earliest brands to drive chocolate consumption amongst adults
with campaigns such as 'khane ke baad kuch meetha ho jaye' and 'shubh arambh' for its brands like
Dairy Milk, Five Star, Perk and Gems.