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“Indian food sector drives on health, convenience and quality”
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Monday, 31 March, 2025, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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 For over 35 years, Cargill has implemented robust food safety mechanisms in India, ensuring compliance through advanced infrastructure, trained personnel, and stringent quality control processes. “We think India is a highly competitive market. The only way to continue succeeding is by building on a foundation of innovation offering solutions to customers and working backward from their needs. Being present across bakery, confectionery and chocolates, and convenience foods, in South Asia and India, we are committed to offering better solutions and helping our customers create superior products, said Simon George, managing director, Cargill Food Business, South Asia, and Shailesh K Khurana, senior director, Cargill’s B2C & Trade Bakery business, in an email interaction with Nandita Vijayasimha. Excerpts:
How would you describe the current scene in India for bakery, confectionery and chocolates, and convenience foods?
We think it is very exciting and promising. If you look at market research, the overall bakery businesses expected to grow at a CAGR of about 9 per cent by 2032. Similarly, chocolates are expected to grow by 5 to 5.5 per cent by 2032. Overall, the bakery business is flourishing and experiencing good times. There is a significant increase in discretionary spending, with consumers having more disposable income and a greater willingness to spend. While price increases may have some impact, more segments are adopting and consuming bakery products.
What are the visible trends?
The three key trends we see are health, convenience, and quality. These broad trends are emerging in India, indicating that consumers are looking for healthier options without compromising on taste. At the same time, they are unwilling to compromise on quality and are willing to pay a premium if the quality meets their expectations. Lastly, there is a strong focus on convenience, with increasing penetration of convenience products. As more people join the workforce, they have less time for household chores, making convenient, healthy, and high-quality solutions more appealing to consumers.
What are the challenges for companies to resuscitate their presence in the wake of stiff competition?
We think India is a highly competitive market. The only way to continue succeeding is by building on a foundation of innovation offering solutions to customers and working backward from their needs. That is the key to staying relevant, differentiated, and ensuring that customers choose you.
We, in this regard, are making significant efforts to bring more health-focused innovative, and relevant products to the market. Some of our innovations include trans-fat-free, hydro fats and products like NatureFresh Professional Elite Choice, an aerated fat that provides better solutions for our partners. We also offer products like NatureFrsesh Professional Lite, a vegetable-based vegan trans-fat free product that delivers benefits similar to butter while maintaining the qualities of animal fat. These are just a few of the ways we are catering to the market. As we mentioned, innovation and a solution-oriented approach are what will set us apart.
How are you maximising presence in bakery, confectionery and chocolates, and convenience foods in India?
One key strength that Cargill brings to the table in India is its deep understanding and expertise in running indulgence businesses globally. Bakery and chocolates are a part of this, and we have extensive experience in delivering high-quality bakery fat solutions and overall bakery innovations to the market. Similarly, in the chocolate segment, we strive to bring the best chocolate offerings to consumers.
Beyond this, we provide a wide range of food ingredients, leveraging our global knowledge and expertise across 70 countries. In South Asia and India, we are committed to offering better solutions and helping our customers create superior products.
What has been the success of Cargill at the Aahar expo?
This year, Cargill Food Services has become even more integrated, providing solutions not only in the B2C space but also in the B2B space. We are positioning ourselves as a one-stop solution for all ingredients, allowing customers to source everything they need from a single place. These were the solutions we showcased at our stall this time.
We are moving beyond simply selling ingredients to becoming a solution provider. Across various categories—whether bakery, confectionery, dairy, edible oils/fats or convenience food—we offer tailored solutions to our customers. This shift has generated significant interest from different customer segments eager to explore our offerings.
One of the key innovations we are introducing this year is a groundbreaking product called Elite Choice. This product helps bakers maximise the efficiency of their ingredients while offering a stronger and more health-conscious alternative. We are driving innovation to optimise cost-based metrics in the market, helping our customers achieve better margins through smart product solutions. Elite Choice is a prime example of this approach. As an aerated fat, it helps bakers to use about 5%-10% less fat while incorporating more wheat flour, and thus, helps in reducing overall fat content in the final product. This results in a better, cost-effective, and high-quality solution.
How does the company view such platforms for the sales growth?
Aahar is extremely relevant for us as it allows us to connect with the industry at large, as well as with both potential and existing customers. It provides us with an opportunity to showcase the new products we are bringing to the country. We are continuously working to introduce state-of-the-art, innovative, and higher-quality products, and Aahar serves as a great platform to present them all in one place. At our Aahar exhibit, we offer solutions ranging from chocolates and bakery fats to ingredients, edible oils/fats and ice cream solutions—you name it, and we have it.
Additionally, Aahar enables us to observe emerging global trends, gain insights, and actively participate in shaping the future of the industry.
Which are the fastest growing products in the bakery, confectionery and chocolates, and convenience foods for you?
We are growing multi-dimensionally, making it difficult to pinpoint just one key driver of the business. However, some of the major growth factors include our overall chocolate portfolio, which encompasses cocoa powder and other chocolate-related products. We are also making significant strides in food ingredient solutions, truly establishing ourselves as a food ingredient solutions company. While we are already a leading food ingredient company in India, we continue to introduce a wide range of innovative products in this space. At a broader level, the key drivers of our business are products that offer enhanced solutions, innovations that add value for customers, and projects that provide healthier alternatives.
In your view what are your global innovation capabilities to meet consumer demands in India and other related global markets?
Cargill so far has only touched the tip of the iceberg in terms of the approach to the products and solutions we have. We are a 160-year-old company, very strong in more than 70 countries, one of the largest food ingredient companies in the world, and therefore there are a large number of solutions we are bringing from across the globe—our understandings, our learnings—which we are now bringing to India to help provide better solutions to the market, to customers, and to final consumers. I think we are significantly adding value by offering better products and using our learnings and expertise to create much better solutions for the Indian market.
Going forward what would be your vision and contributions within the food & bakery sector?
We are an organisation that is focused on helping our customers create products that meet the dietary needs and preferences of end consumers. Our objective is to provide food solutions in a safe, sustainable, and responsible manner, and we will continue to do so. At the heart of this mission is our commitment to our philosophy—offering products that provide better solutions, are healthier, of superior quality, and meet greater needs. We will continue to uphold this commitment while serving this part of the world.
Cargill is a part of you on a daily basis, from morning to evening, in fact right from the time you start brushing in the morning till the time you have the dessert at night, there is some part of Cargill in it. So, patronise us more, because we bring better food to the world.
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