Packaged food and beverage companies are expecting to see an uptick in demand in both urban and rural regions in the upcoming festival season on the back of positive sentiment and normal monsoons. Companies said they have ramped up capacities and distribution along with new launches to garner double-digit growth.

Manish Bandlish, MD, Mother Dairy, told businessline, “We are targeting about 10 per cent growth in the milk segment and 25-30 per cent in the value-added products segment. Our capacities, product lines and distribution are in place to service the demand during the festival season. We saw good volumes during Raksha Bandhan and Janmasthmi and expect this momentum to continue going forward.”

Companies such as Mondelez and Parle said they have launched new offerings for the upcoming festival season, which is key for gifting as well as in-home consumption of food products. Desmond D’souza- VP, Sales, Mondelez India said, “We are optimistic about the upcoming festive season, driven by promising consumer sentiment and an uptick in both urban and rural demand. The demand across the spectrum is stable as both mass markets and premium continue to do well. Our plans are geared to fully leverage these growth pockets at the back of a diverse portfolio and best-in-class retail execution.”

The company said besides Cadbury Celebrations gifting portfolio, Cadbury Silk and Bournville gifting packs will also aid in driving the premium category growth. “We will continue to cover multiple touchpoints and be present wherever our consumers are. This includes strong on-app and off-app collaborations including on Digital and OOH, apart from building significant visibility on the platform. The unique on-platform innovations on retail media - done for the first time - helped drive higher consideration for our brands resulting in superior offtakes,” he added.

Mayank Shah, Vice President, Parle Products, pointed out that factors such as good monsoon are expected to lead to better sentiment in the rural regions. “We expect to see strong traction with our festival-led offerings and marketing strategies. We are also seeing quick commerce emerge as one of the fastest growing channels in key cities,” he added.

Beverage companies too are ramping up supply chains. Sundeep Bajoria, Vice President-India Operations, Coca-Cola India said, “We are strategically positioned to optimize market opportunities across both traditional and emerging channels, leveraging a tailored price-pack architecture to meet diverse consumer needs. We’re witnessing positive momentum in sales, with a notable trend towards festive consumption and gifting. By prioritizing value and accessibility, we’re ensuring 24x7 access for retailers, empowering them to stay ahead of demand.”

Related Topics