New Delhi: Urban Indian consumers are reluctant to give up sugary foods with consumers consuming both traditional Indian sweets as well as biscuits, chocolates, ice creams and candies on a regular basis, according to findings of a survey by citizen engagement platform LocalCircles.
LocalCircles conducted a national survey to understand how urban Indians consume sweets—the survey received 41,000 responses from consumers located in 222 districts. 61% respondents were men while 39% respondents were women. 48% respondents were from tier 1, 32% from tier 2 and 20% were from tier 3 and 4 districts.
41% of urban Indians surveyed said they consume traditional Indian sweets at least three or more times a month, 44% of respondents consume traditional Indian sweets once or twice a month; 16% do so 3-7 times a month.
Meanwhile, 12% of households surveyed consume such treats 8-15 times a month. Nearly 8% of those surveyed consume Indian sweets daily, the survey said.
Traditional sweets aside urban Indians regularly consume biscuits, cakes and cookies.
Nearly 74% of urban Indians consume biscuits, cakes, etc., at least three times or more in a month.
Of those surveyed 31% respondents said they consume bakery products like biscuits, cakes, etc., daily.
“Indians surveyed indicated that they consume ice cream, chocolate, candies, etc., three or more times a month on average, there are many who consume these products on a daily basis,” LocalCircles said.
In case of traditional Indian sweets, 8% of those surveyed indicated that they do it every day; 7% of those surveyed consume ice cream, chocolate, candies, etc., everyday; and 31% of those surveyed indicated that they consume bakery products every day. Indians are known to have a sweet tooth. While it is fine to have most of these sweets once in a while, use ingredients like palm oil as well as preservatives and food colours, according to the survey.
The survey comes as the country’s food safety authority is set to introduce front of the pack labelling that will mandate packaged food companies to add nutrition information on the front of pre-packaged foods and inform buyers about added sugars, total fats, saturated fats, trans fats, and sodium in their products.
Meanwhile, demand for packaged foods has also risen post covid as consumers sought convenience foods to substitute in-home cooking.
The market size of India’s packaged convenience food industry stood at ₹3,19,400 crore in FY22. By FY26, this is expected to touch ₹4,88,300 crore. “The landscape of the Indian packaged food industry is undergoing a swift transformation, driven by evolving consumer preferences. Consumers are increasingly demanding innovative and better-quality foods. This includes a surge in demand for items such as artisanal biscuits, wholesome snacks, ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook meals, and a wide variety of sauces, among others. As consumers allocate more of their spending towards value-added food products, the packaged food industry finds itself brimming with opportunities for growth,” according to a report by taxation and advisory firm BDO India.
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Updated: 11 Nov 2023, 12:55 AM IST