Frito-Lay, the snack food division of PepsiCo India, is contemplating export of indigenously-developed products Kurkure and Aliva to markets such as the US and UK.
“We are looking at markets where the Indian diaspora is strong,” says Frito-Lay marketing director, Deepika Warrier. “The US and UK are two regions where there are a number of non-resident Indians. They have expressed interest in these products.”
Kurkure, a cheeto-like snack launched 10 years earlier, is already exported to Pakistan. Aliva, a cracker launched last year, is yet to be exported. Both products are seeing good growth in the domestic market, says Warrier. She, however, declined to divulge market-share figures.
A key player in the Rs 3,000-crore salty snacks market in India, Frito-Lay has four local brands in a portfolio of seven products — Lehar, Uncle Chipps, Aliva and Kurkure. Its international brands include Lays, the unit’s flagship product, Quaker Oats and Cheetos.
Warrier says the unit’s focus will continue to be on locally-developed products, as it contemplates launch of new salty snacks in the future. “Every quarter, we are looking at two or three big ideas,” she says. The company has just launched four new flavours for its Lays potato wafers, the result of a consumer engagement exercise launched in October last year. The flavours include Cheesy Mexicana, Mastana Mango, Tangy Twist and Hip Hop Honey Chilly.
Warrier says the Rs 5-10-20 price points are sacrosanct in the snack food business, with the company having no plans to deviate from it, despite inflation in prices of agri-commodities such as potatoes and edible oil. “The last time we undertook a price hike was in the end of 2008. If anything, we are looking at lower price points to get new consumers into our fold, who are moving from unbranded to branded,” she says.
