Those looking for healthy breakfast options may soon get one more item on the menu — spiced up savoury oats.

FMCG firm Marico Ltd is prototyping savoury Saffola oats in pepper and curry powder flavours.

“We are currently doing this in Tamil Nadu. We are experimenting with a couple of flavours,” Mr Harsh Mariwalla, Chairman and Managing Director, Marico, told Business Line.

“We will continue this journey of healthy new product launches in the Saffola brand which is connected to the heart,” added Mr Mariwalla.

Health conscious audience

Better known as the healthy oil brand, Saffola, which launched oats late last year, has extended the brand from oats to rice aimed at a health conscious audience. It has three variants of rice, including a variety called Arise with low glycaemic index aimed at diabetics.

Branded oats, estimated at Rs 80 crore, is still an evolving category in India, and is currently dominated by international brands such as Pepsi's Quaker oats and Kelloggs.

Mr Mariwalla, who is also the current president of the industry chamber FICCI, was in Delhi to address a gathering of FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO).

Speaking on the sidelines of the meet, he said the company was closely watching recent global market developments and the impact of the US crisis.

On rising input costs, he said, “It is difficult to predict. But if the raw material prices don't come down, we expect to have pricing pressures in the short term,” he said.

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