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<ul><li>Over the month-long <keyword id="6217944" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Great-Indian-Restaurant-Festival">Great Indian Restaurant Festival</keyword>, participating restaurants raked in a total of ₹350 crores. </li><li>With 80% of diners between the age group of 18-34, discounts reigned supreme during the month. </li><li>Discounts are also the reasons why foodtech aggregators like Zomato and Swiggy have managed to retain consumers. </li></ul>Indians love to eat and that was once again proved last month during the Great Indian Restaurant Festival 2019, a nation-wide food festival. During the festival, 2.5 millions Indians headed to restaurants and used the discount coupons and offers handed out as a part of the event. Using the discounts, people from Delhi saved ₹50 crore, according to an official statement from the festival organisers, with 80% of diners from across the country falling into the age bracket of 18-34. But they weren’t the only winners. The restaurants that were a part of the festival managed to garner a total of ₹350 crores. For the junk-food loving Indian nation, here’s what topped the charts during the month-long event. People from Delhi gorged on pizza, while Bengalureans made use of happy hour deals. Meanwhile, the hot favourite for Mumbai and Kolkata was noodles. It’s discounts that sells in India - and some restaurants allege Indians have become ‘discount addicts.’ In fact, the discount culture has taken over the country so much so that Indian foodtech aggregators can’t do without them, even if it burns their pockets. According to a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/zomato-and-swiggy-discounts-of-concern-to-indian-restaurants/articleshow/68256281.cms">Bloomberg report</a>, Indian startups Zomato, Swiggy and Foodpanda didn’t mind investing half a billion dollars just for discounts. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/zomato-and-swiggy-discounts-of-concern-to-indian-restaurants/articleshow/68256281.cms">In India, restaurants have a love-hate relationship with online food delivery platforms</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/swiggy-and-zomato-are-being-targeted-for-misusing-dominant-position-in-a-petition-filed-with-indias-competition-watchdog/articleshow/67376953.cms">Swiggy and Zomato are being targeted for ‘misusing dominant position’ in a petition filed with India’s competition watchdog</a>

A whopping 2.5 million Indians dined out in February as discounts poured in – Here’s what most of them ate

New Delhi, May 29 () Multinational Conglomerate ITC Ltd's hospitality arm ITC Hotels on Friday announced to partner online food delivery platform Swiggy to deliver its food delicacies at customers' doorsteps amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The move would enable ITC Hotels' customers to enjoy their pre-paid orders with 'no-contact' deliveries and have unique food experiences with local offerings from the regions at their home, said a joint statement. This would be implemented into phases across India and deliveries from properties such as ITC Maurya (New Delhi), ITC Royal Bengal (Kolkata), ITC Grand Chola (Chennai), ITC Gardenia (Bengaluru), ITC Windsor (Bengaluru), ITC Kohenur (Hyderabad), ITC Rajputana (Jaipur), ITC Grand Goa (Goa) and Welcomhotel Bengaluru would be commenced in the phase one. While, under the second phase more ITC Hotels and Welcomhotel properties will be added to the Swiggy home delivery initiative, it added. Commenting on the development, ITC Hotels COO Anil Chadha said: "We are re-engineering our guest experiences with zero/low associate engagement (including digital ordering and e-payment solutions). The partnership with Swiggy will assist us in responsibly delivering our unique culinary experiences using their advanced distribution network. Together we are committed to delivering a responsible guest experience." Swiggy COO Vivek Sunder said: "Through our partnership with ITC Hotels, customers can now indulge in curated gourmet dishes from popular restaurants of the ITC Hotels chain across India through the Swiggy app. We look forward to creating unique dining experiences for customers while helping them celebrate special occasions at the comfort of their homes." Earlier other luxury star hotels such as Marriott, Hilton have piggybacked on food ordering and delivery platforms such as Zomato, Swiggy to reach customers during the lockdown and the people are expected to avoid crowded places as restaurants in the initial phases. "It may be recalled that ITC Hotels had tapped into the food and beverage take-away model across the country recently and received overwhelming feedback from diners for the "Flavours" takeaway (and home delivery) dining experience. The association with Swiggy endeavours to reach a much larger customer base," said ITC Hotels. Launched in 1975, ITC Hotels is a premier chain of luxury hotels. It operates more than 100 hotels in over 70 destinations. KRH MKJ

ITC Hotels partners Swiggy to deliver food delicacies at customers' doorsteps

The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named left-arm spin all-rounder <keyword id="2583887" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="axar-patel" source="Orion">Axar Patel</keyword> as the replacement for senior left-arm spin all-rounder <keyword id="6359948" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ravindra-jadeja" source="Orion">Ravindra Jadeja</keyword> in the ongoing Asia Cup in the UAE. "<keyword id="4167" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="jadeja" source="Orion">Jadeja</keyword> has sustained a right knee injury and is ruled out of the tournament. He is currently under the supervision of the BCCI medical team. His replacement, Axar Patel was earlier named as one of the standbys in the squad and will join the team in Dubai soon," said the BCCI in an official statement. "India's squad for Asia Cup: <keyword id="13937" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rohit-sharma" source="Orion">Rohit Sharma</keyword> (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), <keyword id="6354486" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="virat-kohli" source="Orion">Virat Kohli</keyword>, <keyword id="496245" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="suryakumar-yadav" source="Orion">Suryakumar Yadav</keyword>, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/top-market-cap-companies-in-the-world/slidelist/93952579.cms">Top 10 companies in the world by market cap</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/hotel-industry-body-cautions-restaurants-over-zomato-pay-swiggy-diner/articleshow/93952919.cms">Hotel industry body cautions restaurants over Zomato Pay, Swiggy Diner</a>

Asia Cup 2022: Ravindra Jadeja out of tournament due to right knee injury, Axar Patel named replacement

<ul><li>Indian <keyword id="7389506" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="online-food-delivery-platforms">online food delivery platforms</keyword> have reportedly been contributing 15%-20% annually towards the growth of food court businesses in malls of India. </li><li>Previously, the restaurant association asked food aggregators — including Zomato and Swiggy — if they are making consumers ‘discount addicts’ disguised as customers ‘saving’ through online orders.</li></ul>It appears the relationship between Indian restaurants and the country’s online food aggregators such as Swiggy and Zomato can range from sour to sweet – depending on where you choose to dine. Several prominent malls in India have witnessed an increase in business and profits due to online delivery platforms including Swiggy and Zomato, ET reported, citing mall owners. <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/hotels-/-restaurants/ecomm-wary-malls-find-online-food-aggregators-presence-palatable/articleshow/68248629.cms?utm_source=Colombia&amp;utm_medium=C1&amp;utm_campaign=CTN_ET_hp&amp;utm_content=21">According to </a>New Delhi’s Select Citywalk Mall, business at food establishments at the mall’s food court has been growing at 15%-20% annually. The food court reportedly makes 300,000 deliveries a month via online food platforms. On the other hand, India’s restaurants lobby recently accused the online food delivery majors of ‘eating into their business.’ Last month, small restaurants filed a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/swiggy-and-zomato-are-being-targeted-for-misusing-dominant-position-in-a-petition-filed-with-indias-competition-watchdog/articleshow/67376953.cms">complaint</a> with the country’s anti-trust regulator, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) against deep discounting practices adopted by Zomato and Swiggy, accusing aggregators of getting consumers addicted to discounts. According to a Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloombergquint.com/technology/indias-food-delivery-apps-navigate-discounts-losses-in-race-for-customers#gs.mmwIqqqI">report</a>, Zomato, Swiggy and Foodpanda invests nearly half a billion dollars in last two years on discounts. For example, Zomato has been running a 50% discount deal with many of its partners over the past four months. And Swiggy, which raised $1 billion, and entered the unicorn club, is also targeting deals in competition with Zomato. One fast food chain owner told Business Insider India it had listed on online food aggregator platforms for the sake of deliveries, and not discounts. He added that the restaurant “doesn’t believe in discounts.” According to him, the discount strategy doesn’t necessarily impact customer loyalty, as people are likely to end up at their preferred restaurants. While an official from the restaurant association stated that even though online food aggregators have brought restaurants closer to customers, it is important to note that no one sells at a loss just to attract customers and create dominance. On the flip side, online food aggregators contend that their approach is just designed to increase customer reach. “Discounts are merely a mechanism to encourage user participation as we advance our services. Our discounts and promotional schemes are carefully designed keeping in mind the best interest of all the parties in the ecosystem,” a Zomato spokesperson told Business Insider. Deepak Zutshi, vice president for leasing at Select Citywalk <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/hotels-/-restaurants/ecomm-wary-malls-find-online-food-aggregators-presence-palatable/articleshow/68248629.cms?utm_source=Colombia&amp;utm_medium=C1&amp;utm_campaign=CTN_ET_hp&amp;utm_content=21">told</a> ET that there is no such conflict between malls and food aggregators Swiggy and Zomato here, the focus is on on-time delivery without compromising on customer experience. Stiff competition There’s no denying that food tech players in India have been in heated competition, battling on several fronts such as pricing and quality. According to the<a href="https://www.livemint.com/Companies/WJSpXMp64Q0QLcKLw5tCoK/Swiggy-is-on-top-of-the-online-food-chain-shows-survey.html"> latest survey </a>by Redseer Consulting, Swiggy has been the most trusted brand among Indians, leaving behind Foodpanda, UberEats and even Zomato. Defending its discount strategy, Zomato has argued that it is only “working towards achieving a balance of user experience, restaurant growth and operational efficiency." Regardless of who ranks up in the battle, one thing is certain: At least in the foreseeable future, the diners win. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/swiggy-and-zomato-are-being-targeted-for-misusing-dominant-position-in-a-petition-filed-with-indias-competition-watchdog/articleshow/67376953.cms">Swiggy and Zomato are being targeted for ‘misusing dominant position’ in a petition filed with India’s competition watchdog</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-indian-government-has-reportedly-invested-just-19-of-its-fund-dedicated-to-boosting-startups/articleshow/67323307.cms">The Indian government has reportedly invested just 19% of its fund dedicated to boosting startups</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/for-indian-startups-2018-has-been-a-year-of-bouncing-back-as-venture-capital-funding-doubles/articleshow/67286540.cms">For Indian startups, 2018 has been a year of bouncing back as venture capital funding doubles</a>

In India, restaurants have a love-hate relationship with online food delivery platforms

<ul><li>Big Indian startups have been in the public eye for many controversies thanks to the concerns raised by various <keyword id="946463" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="industry-bodies">industry bodies</keyword>. </li><li>From ban on sales to stopping discounts, industry bodies have picked a fight against startups. </li><li><keyword id="830092" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zomato">Zomato</keyword>, Oyo, Flipkart and Amazon have all been affected by the same. </li></ul>Indian startups have a growing problem at home – industry bodies from different sectors are now up in arms against discounts and deals. From Zomato and Oyo to Flipkart and even the global retail giant Amazon is caught in a fight. Here’s a look at all that’s gone down between industry bodies and startups in just the last month. Restaurants vs online aggregators All seemed to be going well between Indian restaurateurs and online aggregators until last month. The National Restaurant Association of India, which has over 500,000 outlets as members, woke up to the many deals presented by the likes of Zomato, <keyword id="6358977" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="swiggy">Swiggy</keyword>, EazyDiner, Dineout etc., and said that the excessive discounts offered by the delivery apps are throttling their businesses. Zomato bore the brunt of the restaurants’ ire – from the logout movement to social media uproar from hoteliers It had also faced protests from its delivery executives, who were not happy with the pay cuts from the aggregator. The foodtech unicorn paused on its Infinity Dining feature and curtailed the Zomato Gold program but the restaurants remain animus towards the firm. Despite many attempts to thaw in the frosty relationship there is no resolution yet for Zomato and Swiggy. Hotel associations against Oyo Oyo Hotels &amp; Homes in the past few years has grown at a rapid pace to have its signboard up in every big city, and many small towns-- adding up to 270,000 rooms across the country. But in its fast acquisition of buildings and hotels, some traditional hoteliers have raised concerns about ‘illegal practices’. Oyo is battling legal complaints from a Bengaluru-based hotelier accusing Ritesh Agarwal, the founder, of cheating and breach of trust. A month ago, hoteliers too began boycotting Oyo but the Delhi High Court ruled the case in favour of the $5 billion startup. The good ol’ e-commerce fight Indian e-commerce has long been in the eye of public dissent from industry bodies. The likes of Flipkart and Amazon were the first to be hit because of their deep discounting which allows them to acquire customers faster. With the festive season around the corner, Flipkart and Amazon both have massive sales coming up. Flipkart is in fact getting ready with its annual sale – The Big Billion Day Sale. However, now the Confederation of All India Traders is demanding a <a href="https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/e-commerce/e-tailing/ahead-of-diwali-sale-cait-says-ecomm-giants-flouting-rules/71167595">ban </a>on these sales. The CAIT is an industry body for over 7 crore traders. The body has alleged that the two e-commerce giants are violating the Foreign Direct Investment rules with their massive ad campaigns. It has also written to Union Minister Piyush Goyal regarding the same.

India’s biggest startups are faced with growing resistance from industry bodies

<ul><li><keyword id="1557667" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="TBWA-India">TBWA India</keyword>’s latest report identifies the changing relationship with food culture, the evolving mindsets of India and ways in which the pandemic is changing the palate of the country.</li><li>Hungry for more? Take a seat, there's a lot on the menu.</li></ul>As we look back at the last decade, we see how our relationships with people, work, activities and of course, food have been redefined. During these trying times, our obsession with food is something we’ve sought comfort in. Food and our attitude towards it has been changing, much of which has been accelerated by the pandemic. TBWA India team has put together a report in an attempt to identify the changing relationship with food culture and the evolving mindsets of India. Meal-eportation <div type="image" title="social, Pune" msid="80346521" hostid="261"></div> People no longer want just a meal; they want a performance that transcends space and time. Beyond menus, cafés and restaurants are now adding a flavour of drama to their recipes. Getting a cup of coffee can involve a walk through a zen-like garden and ordering a cocktail can move you to a street market. According to TripAdvisor, 70% of people believe unique dining experiences are worth paying more for. Social, Pune has a tunnel-like entrance that is supposed to be a transition from new Pune into the old market lanes of camps. It also has an off-beat trampoline work section. Revenge Dining <div type="image" title="social distancing" msid="80346544" hostid="261"></div> Social indulgence is even winning over the fear of contagion. Survivalism is taking a backseat. People are giving in to their senses demanding a break and dining out, after being locked away for months. Dine-out Inside <div type="image" title="novotel meal kit." msid="80346560" hostid="261"></div> To relive the experience of dining out, people are now ordering in the restaurant-like ambience along with food. With the pandemic restricting people's movement, ordering in has turned into experiential dining. People are dressing up, playing music and setting the table, to recreate the dining-out experience at home. For example, Novotel Chamiers has launched their own meal kits to give their diners the restaurant experience at home. The apparel brand Linen Club is encouraging people to bring the restaurant experience home. Gastronomy Express <div type="image" title="Nachos Deposit photos" msid="80346581" hostid="261"></div> Taste buds are now dictating itineraries. As the hunger for experimental experiences rises, both people’s taste buds and minds are opening up to the new. The World Food Travel Association preserves and promotes culinary cultures through hospitality and tourism. 50% Indians are keen on experimenting with authentic local cuisines and are planning their vacations around it. 1 in 4 Indian travellers surveyed said they regard 'enjoying the local food' as the most important reason to travel. *Source: KAYAK, Taste of Travel, The Indian Express, BusinessWorld. *Source - ASSOCHAM Gourmet at Home <div type="image" title="English breakfast" msid="80346600" hostid="261"></div> English Breakfast now competes with Idli Sambhar as Indian taste buds are experimenting with transcontinental flavours. Sinking our teeth into global gastronomy has turned us into gourmet cooks who constantly crave for more. Gourmet food has become an avenue of its own as it is no longer confined to lavish restaurants. For example, Foodhall's product range includes a vast range of products from all over the world. Godrej Nature’s Basket’s offers exotic international gourmet products. According to EconomicTimes, 30%-60% growth in sales for exotic food and international sauces in Nature's Basket and Spencer's. Conscious Consumption Food has levelled up as our ammo in the climate change battle. From dieting to save our bodies to dieting to save our planet, people are realizing how every bite can make a difference. Ve-gan make a difference <div type="image" title="Vegan food from canva" msid="80346650" hostid="261"></div> People are eating well, for both themselves and the world. The dairy loving country is embracing a plant based diet and shifting their focus to sustainable and conscious eating habits. 40% growth in the next decade in alternative meat industry. 90% Indians are extremely likely to purchase plant-based meat. Good Dot, a plant-based meat startup sells 12,000 to 15,000 packets of mock meat each day. BYOC (Bring Your Own Cutlery) <div type="image" title="cutlery" msid="80346707" hostid="261"></div> Whether we’re eating out or ordering in, disposable cutlery is now being cancelled. Restaurants are now encouraging consumers to bring their own containers and bags for takeaway orders to reduce plastic waste. A small green step for us but a large step towards saving the world's depleting resources. Corner House, Bangalore, began a 'Bring Your Own Bowl' initiative to cut down their plastic burden. Arogya Ahaara, a restaurant in Bangalore, encourages their customers to carry containers and bottles for takeaway orders. Zomato and Swiggy have an option that requests restaurants to not send cutlery. Farm to Fork <div type="image" title="Veggies" msid="80346738" hostid="261"></div> Prioritizing health and sustainability, conscious India is going organic. Direct sourcing from farms and a rise in organic farming is indicative of the rising need to consume chemical-free food while conserving the planet. According to India Organic Food Market Outlook, $849.5 Million is the value of the Indian organic food market in 2020. Zomato plans to introduce the ‘farm’ to ‘fork’ concept that works directly with producers, like farms or food producers. Zama Organics an organic food start-up sector of India is to sourcing things that are native to different climatic belts and geographies and bring them to a common platform. Foodie Chef <div type="image" title="wok express." msid="80346774" hostid="261"></div> People are now turning into chefs as they break the culinary rules and add their own twists. 'Make your own' is the latest addition to menus where consumers are given the freedom to make their favourite meal their way by adding specific ingredients &amp; customisations. It's heaven for picky eaters! Wok Express provides consumers the option to ‘MYOB’ make their own food bowls. It can be built from scratch from a variety of different options available. Subway let's its customers design their own sandwiches according to their taste and preferences. According to Restro App, 70% of customers expect customization. Frozen Feast <div type="image" title="Frozen food" msid="80346831" hostid="261"></div> ‘Frozen’ is replacing ‘fresh’ as people prioritise the ability to eat what they want, when they want. With the rising popularity of fast food and people’s increasingly busy lives, fast food has now reached our freezers in the form of frozen food. According to National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency, India’s estimated to become Largest consumer of frozen food by 2030. Stag Bite <div type="image" title="Box8 mini meal." msid="80346849" hostid="261"></div> With the ability to now customize portions, people are no longer compromising on the size of their cravings. 'Meal for one' is the latest addition to menus that offers you the perfect portion size for yourself, so that each person gets to eat whatever they want. It is simple, convenient and cost-effective. Menus available on Swiggy Pop – a 'Meal for 1' service. Box8 offers 'Mini Meals' perfectly curated to satisfy one person's hunger.

The changing relationship with food culture and the evolving mindsets of Indian consumers: TBWA India Report

<ul><li>Fabelle launched its first chocolate boutique in Bengaluru and has today expanded to 15 boutiques across top 6 metros.</li><li>Its aim is now to grow its reach further in both the luxury and the <keyword id="6037459" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="mass-premium-segment">mass premium segment</keyword>. It is ensuring it is available at all touchpoints to ensure a great experience for its consumers.</li><li> In a market where well-established players are also putting their best foot forward to woo consumers with their mass premium segment offerings, <keyword id="8251479" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anuj-Rustagi">Anuj Rustagi</keyword>, Chief Operating Officer, Chocolate, Coffee, Confectionery and New Category Development - Foods, <keyword id="186707" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="ITC-Limited">ITC Limited</keyword>, tells us Fabelle's strategy to bite a bigger piece of the Indian market. </li></ul>It was back in 2016 that ITC ventured into the premium chocolates segment with the launch of Fabelle. The brand had been in the making for close to 10 years. To provide an ‘immersive, participative and engaging chocolate experience to consumers’, the brand launched its first chocolate boutique, a global format to retail chocolates in the country in the same year, starting with Bengaluru. The brand now has expanded to 15 boutiques across top 6 metros. Within the next two years, Fabelle extended its offerings to the mass premium segment. This move was in line with the brand’s endeavour to take its offerings to a wider audience. It was then that it made itself available at premium retailers like Nature’s Basket, Foodhall, Spencer’s etc. To further expand its reach, the brand has invested Rs 100 crore on a manufacturing facility. The brand is now on a mission, to bite a bigger piece of the country’s chocolate market that has well-established players like Mondelez, Nestle, and now even Amul putting their best foot forward with the launch of their premium chocolate ranges. Over the past few years, the brand has been using the power of digital to its advantage, to reach out to its target audience. <keyword id="441877" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="direct-marketing">Direct marketing</keyword> and word-of-mouth have helped it create a loyal base. We recently caught up with Anuj Rustagi, Chief Operating Officer, Chocolate, Coffee, Confectionery and New Category Development - Foods, ITC Limited, to understand how the brand is navigating a segment that has some strong players already and to understand its strategy to growing its footprint in the market. Excerpts: Q) Walk us through brand Fabelle’s journey from 2016 till today. What kind of growth have you witnessed and how do you plan to reach out to more consumers? Considering the scope and potential to grow the Indian chocolate market, we launched Fabelle in 2016. We launched our first chocolate boutique, a global format to retail chocolates in the country in 2016, starting with Bengaluru and has expanded to 15 boutiques across top 6 metros. After building credibility and consumer trust in the premium luxury chocolates segment, we extended our offerings to the mass premium segment in 2018 by taking our offerings to premium retailers in the country like Nature’s Basket, Foodhall, Spencer’s et al. We also invested Rs 100 crore to set up a greenfield state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Haridwar with a capacity of 5,000 tonnes per annum. Further to this, we had also set up a cold chain in our warehouses, redistribution centers and also at retail touch points, to deliver our chocolates in the most pristine condition to our consumers. The company invested in the latest global cooling technologies and real-time digital monitoring systems to ensure that the cold chain is efficient and always functioning, so that there’s no product quality deterioration. Once the required logistics were in place, we leveraged ITC’s strong distribution network to expand our retails touch points and are currently available via 10000+ retailers in India. Currently, we are also amplifying our reach via the digital ecosystem through food delivery service apps like Swiggy, Zomato, ITC eStore, Amazon. Our business has grown much ahead of the category and our internal forecast. Q) Do you plan to come up with more 'massy' products with lower price points? We entered the mass premium/FMCG segment in 2018 with two unique formats – Fabelle Choco Deck and Fabelle Soft Centres. Earlier this year, riding at the back of encouraging consumer response which we received after launching Ruby Gianduja in the luxury segment, we extended the experience of Ruby Chocolate to the larger consumer base by launching Fabelle Choco Deck Milk &amp; Ruby Chocolate Our products are already available in 10 SKUs at popular price points, ranging between Rs 25 to Rs 350. Going forward, Fabelle will continue to focus on creating one-of-a-kind chocolate experiences in India that are highly aspirational and in line with global brands and possibly better. We will focus on expanding the presence of luxury segment across all relevant touchpoints with the right range and also build a portfolio of products that span not only in the luxury segment but also in premium mass retail segments under Fabelle. Q) Fabelle has a website but it's more of a discovery platform. Are there plans to start selling on fabelle.in too or will you continue only selling on other ecommerce platforms? Indeed Fabelle’s website is a discovery platform but I our offerings across the luxury and mass premium range are already being retailed through our own D2C ecosystem, which consists of a takeaway menu, ITC eStore, ITC Hotels App or ITC Store on Wheels for purchase. We're also utilizing the traditional e-commerce channels like Amazon, Big Basket, Flipkart to make the luxury range available and delivered to consumers. Emerging channels like EasyDiner, Dunzo etc are also being explored to enable people to buy chocolates. Q) You launched your first brand campaign earlier this year, almost 4 years after launching the brand. What kept you away from traditional advertising till now? Our media choices have been to sharp target our consumers in key geographies using digital as a key medium which also enables consumers to get more information and engage with brands directly, especially in the luxury segments. Besides digital, positive word-of-mouth has been a key part of our marketing communication mix in building the brand’s familiarity amongst the larger audience, alongside our new, trend setting launches like Ruby Gianduja, Trinity Truffles, Independence Day and work with chocolatiers like Billie Mckay, Sarah Todd etc which has given Fabelle the desired visibility. Direct marketing is also a key lever to engage with UHNI and HNI consumers and creating customised experiences in gifting and for self-consumption. As our brand presence extended across segments, across price points, we felt it was an appropriate time to include TV in marketing mix for our mass premium range while continuing focus on digital and earned media. Q) Other players are also strengthening their offerings in the premium <keyword id="6110187" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="chocolate-segment">chocolate segment</keyword>. How have you been able to create a niche for yourself? Earlier, Indian consumers purchased imported brands that were available via alternate channels in a range of retail outlets across key metro cities as no major global premium chocolate brand operated officially in India. Erratic supplies, lack of product quality, authenticity, product range suited to Indian consumers, variety for self-consumption and gifting were some of the major concerns of Indian consumers with regards to the global brands available in India via alternate channels. International travel (prior to the pandemic), exposure to global food trends via social media, food blogs and sites, food programs (Masterchef) and an increase in purchasing power are redefining lifestyle choices of the upper middle class and elite consumers. Hence, India has become a key market for major luxury brands leading to a rapid rise in demand for gourmet food and the same is also seen in the chocolates category. Gourmet experiences in chocolates are defined as handcrafted, using finest ingredients, crafted by experts and those that engage all senses. Brand imagery has also become important as increasingly prosperous Indians are choosing brands that are in line with their aspirations of consuming premium global products/offerings while gifting has also emerged as an important trend in premium chocolates segment. With all of the above, consumers were also seeking an immersive experience. To address these need-based gaps, we launched our first chocolate boutique in 2016 which has now expanded to 15 boutiques. We are now looking at attractive markets like Amritsar to further extend our presence. The overall experience in the Chocolate Boutique led by Fabelle Master chocolatiers and boutique associates is aimed to create an engaging experience that not only makes a range of chocolate products available to consumers but also an experience that helps consumer know more about chocolates like the origins, chocolate processing techniques and appreciating the nuances of a luxury chocolate experience. Furthermore, we are the only chocolatier to offer 60+ diverse range of chocolate experiences through 5 varieties of globally popular hand-crafted creations. We are the only brand to retail all 5 types’ chocolates in the world - White, Milk, Dark, Ruby and a new type ‘Dark Milk’. Q) The premium chocolate segment is still a very small part of the chocolates business. How are you wooing more consumers, and increasing your market share? In the luxury segment, during the pandemic, we shifted our presence from physical to digital platforms to take luxury closer to consumers to wish to indulge within the safe confines of their homes. We enabled that shift through presence across digital mediums, e-commerce channels, food delivery sites like Swiggy and Zomato, enabled take-aways from our boutiques and tele-ordering. Our unique Fabelle on Wheels also visits residential societies for consumers to make direct purchase. Besides this, we have also focused on gifting during Diwali for Corporates and individuals alike with launch of innovative products like Continents Desserts Collection, Indian Desserts Collection etc. As normalcy gradually resumes, we have also opened operations at our boutiques while ensuring 100% adherence to safety and hygiene standards. In the FMCG space, we are expanding our distribution reach to all key touchpoints and ensure that the right price product is placed at the right channel. Product offerings which are at price points of Rs 25, Rs 40 and Rs 45 are available in small format outlets as well whereas in the large format outlets we operate in the price points of Rs 70 to Rs 350. As our brand presence extended across segments, across price points, we felt it was an appropriate time to include TV in marketing mix for our mass premium range while continuing focus on digital and earned media. Q) What is your growth strategy going ahead? Do you plan to take your brand to smaller cities? At the moment, we retail out of six major cities in India including Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai in the luxury and the mass premium segment. Currently, our efforts are focused towards making our chocolates more accessible to consumers based out of these markets and we also plan to expand our presence in other Tier 1, Tier 2 &amp; rural markets.

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