Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting (WCCL) is piloting its entry into traditional snacks by expanding its packaged foods portfolio with a range of traditional South Indian offerings under the Granamma brand.
WCCL sells a range of products under some well known brands including Yardley, Chandrika, Glucovita, Santoor, and Enchanteur. According to the company’s website, under the brand name Granamma, it has expanded its portfolio to include traditional snacks such as banana chips, murukku, mixture, kara boondi, nipattu, thattai, kodubale, oma podi, kara sev, and ribbon pakoda, several of which are said to be test marketed under a pilot project.
The products are currently in a pilot phase in select market areas in South India and will expand based on the success observed in these tested markets. WCCL did not respond to a detailed questionnaire sent by businessline on the snacking foray.
Packaged snacks is one of the fastest-growing food categories in the country. According to the IMARC Report, the snacking market size was ₹42,694 crore in 2023 and is expected to touch ₹95,522 crore by 2032, with a CAGR of 9.08 percent during the forecast period.
Previously, WCCL, the consumer major, had acquired Kerala-based Nirapara, and Brahmins to consolidate its presence in ready-to-cook, blended spices, and breakfast categories.
‘Rebel moment’
“The snack food sector is undergoing a rebel moment, with new entrants aiming to occupy the high ground in the healthy and retro segments, giving the likes of Haldirams and MTR a run for their money, fundamentally because they speak a different language,” said Harish Bijoor, Business, Brand strategy expert.
He added, “Consequently, larger brands like Wipro will also engage in this shift, entering the psyche of the Indian snack food consumer, who seeks to rediscover the forgotten tastes of old India.”