India’s Appetite for Packaged Food Showing Relentless Rise

India’s growing appetite for novel foods is good news for the packaged food market in country, where food habits are no longer as they were even a decade ago. The growth of India’s packaged food market has thus promoted several global players to sit up and take notice – a fact corroborated by a survey that was recently published by the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham).

Double Incomes and Convenience Quotient Promoting Growth

The survey states that in metropolitan cities, about 79% of all households show a preference for instant food because they are increasingly pressed for time and typically have more than one working members in the family. The convenience factor plays an important role too so does the fact that the standard of living of Indians has improved by several notches.

Parents Serving up Easy-to-cook Meals About 10-12 Times a Month

Another interesting finding of the survey is that in large cities, at least 76% of parents (both working in most cases) who have children aged five years or less serve up ready-to-cook or easy-to-make food as many as 10 to 12 times in the span of a month.

Urban Areas See High Demand for Packaged Food

Not surprisingly, it is households in urban areas where the demand for packaged foods is seen to be the highest. Consumers who brave the commute to and from work and battle with a fast pace of life find respite in packaged foods that make meal time less of a hassle. Companies in the Indian packaged food market have been quick to spot this opportunity and have wasted no time in launching products to fulfil this unmet need.

Huge Divide Exists Between India’s Urban, Rural, and Semi-urban Consumers

Urban areas in India generate a staggering 80% of all demand for packaged food in the country. The remaining demand comes from the semi-urban and rural areas. This clearly indicates that a massive divide exists between the consumption of packaged food in urban and rural areas. Packaged food products with a high demand in India are: canned and frozen food, processed meat, bakery and dairy products, diet snacks, ready-to-eat meals, and health drinks and products. 

Browse Industry Research on Packaged Food: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/packaged-food-market.html