A rising working class in India means a ready-to-eat opportunity

29-Aug-2011 - Last updated on 16-Mar-2017 at 06:22 GMT

Socio-economic factors in India have resulted in an opportunity for ready-to-eat (RTE) meals in the country, prompting Mumbai, India-based Agro Tech Foods Ltd to venture into the segment.

Agro Tech, which is known in India for its edible oil range under the Sundrop brand, stepped into this segment this week with the launch of its Sundrop Yummeals range of RTE meals.

According to Asheesh Sharma, marketing manager at Agro Tech Foods, the product range consists of six variants: Dal Tadka, Aloo Mutter, Palak Paneer, Chana Masala, Methi Malai Mutter and Kadhi Pakoda.

The range is priced at US$0.75-US$1, depending upon the variant, said Sharma, and would initially be available in the top eight cities in India after which it will be rolled out in another 32, said Sharma.

“It took us 18 months from idea to execution including recipe formulation and consumer testing. The formulation was suitably modified depending upon the Indian tastes and all ingredients sourced locally,” said Sharma.

Sharma said that the range is aimed at consumers who are looking for a healthy yet convenient meal option, for example, married couples with double income and no kids, singles, professionals and people staying away from home.

“The growing number of nuclear families, an increase in household incomes and a significant rise in the number of single working men and women professionals in the past decade, have opened opportunity for the RTE segment,” he said.

“The changing trends have led to irregular schedules and less time for cooking, leading to an increased demand for RTE products,” he added.

Sharma pointed out that according to the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, the RTE segment stands at US$17m to US$22m and is growing rapidly at 30 per cent per annum.