New Brand of "LuvIt" Chocolates Hits South India Market

There is a new reason to celebrate this holiday season: – the launch of the much anticipated chocolate brand LuvIt from Global Consumer Products. Global CP is a FMCG start-up promoted by A. Mahendran with a focus on launching innovative and differentiated brands in the food and beverage sector. The company unveiled the LuvIt brand and its range of chocolates at a press conference today.

Launched across nine variants and 14 SKUs, LuvIt is available in the key chocolate formats of Moulded chocolates, enrobed wafers, panned chocolates and caramel-nougat bars at various price points Rs 5, Rs 10, Rs 25, Rs 40 and Rs 45.  This range has been christened as Dairy Rich, ChocWich, Caramelicious, Crazypops and Chocopops.   The LuvIt brand is targeted at young consumers in the age group of 15 years to 30 years and has been positioned as a bold and trendsetting brand promoting the cause of Indulgence.  The packaging has been designed in line with the philosophy of Live It. Own It. LuvIt.  Keeping the young, new-experience seeking consumer in mind, the packs are in pop colors.  Siddharth who is the “chocolate-boy” heartthrob of South India has been signed on as the Brand Ambassador for the LuvIt brand. Global CP also unveiled its clutter-breaking multi-media advertising campaign which includes a music video composed by none other than Santhosh Narayanan, a young music director hugely-acclaimed by critics and fans alike.

LuvIt Chocolates will be distributed and retailed across the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and the Union Territory Puducherry. The company already has in place its GoToMarket strategy and has appointed a strong network of 80 distributors. The products will be available across supermarkets, large and small grocers, general stores, bakeries and chemists across Southern India.

The Rs 7,000 crore Indian chocolate market has been growing at a CAGR of over 20% and with new players coming in this number is expected to grow. The southern states account for almost 30 % of the national chocolate market and over 80% of the southern market is concentrated in urban centers.

 A Mahendran, Chairman and Managing Director, Global CP said on this occasion, “This launch is an important milestone as it symbolizes the first step in Global CP’s  journey of capturing consumer mind space and market share by providing innovative, value-for-money, branded food & beverage consumer products. Global CP was born out of an idea to be one-of-a-kind start-up where entrepreneurial ambitions of various stakeholders can be nurtured. I am thankful to our Private Equity Partners Goldman Sachs and Mitsui 

Ventures for the support in making the idea a reality. We will ensure utmost customer and stakeholder satisfaction through our product innovation and quality, our focussed distribution, and disruptive brand building.”

Commenting on the LuvIt. Brand launch, Anuradha Narasimhan, Executive Vice President- Sales & Marketing, Global CP said, “We are excited to launch chocolates and delight the customer palate. Our packaging is young with a pop look and feel, and the advertising will strike a chord with the young. Siddharth was our first choice as brand ambassador as he has a huge fan following across the southern states. We intend to build brand awareness and quick trials through our 360 degree media and activation program touching young people across the top 25 cities in the south. The LuvIt. Brand Philosophy is that Indulgence begins with an “I” and our message to all young people is to LiveIt. OwnIt. LuvIt.” 

On being associated with the LuvIt. Brand, Siddharth had this to say: “I am delighted to be associated with the brand. I have been Chocolate Boy for a while now, and with LuvIt chocolates I will truly live up to the moniker of being Chocolate boy Siddharth.  I have been eating LuvIt Chocolates and I believe that they are so delicious that they are Best Enjoyed by Oneself. I have enjoyed working with the LuvIt brand and agency team on the advertising campaign and I want to leave my fans with one simple message- I LuvIt.”

Headquartered in Bangalore, Global CP is now a soaring company with a strength of 100+ people. Incepted in 2014, with an equity commitment of Rs 3,150 million (approximately US$50 million) from Goldman Sachs, a leading global investment bank, and Mitsui Global Investment (MGI); the company had hired veteran FMCG professions over the last one year to form its core management team.  

Pizza Hut Selling Biryani? Check out the new 'Birizza'

Imagine an American restaurant chain like Pizza Hut serving Biryani. Well if it's in India, evert thing is possible!!! Recently the leading Pizza chain launched a new dish - Birizza, a biryani with the taste of pizza. If the dish was innovative, the launch activity was one of its kind.

Birizza-Biryani zara "Hat-ke", was what they called the dish.

"We wanted to bring in rice to Pizza Hut. Rice is considered as 'the meal' in the country. Hence, we introduced rice in Pizza hut," said Arjyo Banerjee, Head, food innovation, Pizza Hut.

"It is a biryani cooked in a dum biryani style on the tava with vegetables and forest seasonings. We gave a pizza touch to the biryani. We make fresh pizza dough everyday in our stores," he added.

It was a biryani cooked on the tava sealed with baked flavourful pizza dough and topped with an olive.

The non-veg biryani was an assortment of peas, capsicum, tomato and chicken chunks mixed in the rice. The dish was served with masala gravy which was cooked merging some cream, herbs, seasonings and tomatoes. It is the concoction that the food chain has got in the pizza.

The crust on the top was crispy and hand stretched to perfection. I enjoyed eating it with the masala gravy.

Vegetarian biryani starts at Rs.99, one consisting of paneer starts at Rs.129, whereas non-vegetarian starts at Rs.149. This does not include the taxes.

Celebrate The Spirit Of Love With Less Fortunate This Valentine’s Day

Foodpanda.in, India’s largest online food ordering platform has initiated the ‘Food for Soul’ campaign with a Grassroot nonprofit, Uday Foundation to show some love and concern for the underprivileged section of society. Timed to coincide with Valentine’s Day, the campaign invites you to celebrate the spirit of the occasion by spreading the joy of good food to those who go hungry no matter what day it is. Simply log on to the website and make a donation between Rs.50 and Rs.1000 that amounts to a food item listed like foodgrains, pulses, vegetable oil, biscuits and so on. Foodpanda.in will forward the proceedings to the charitable institution thus reaching out to many a hungry child who deserves to live a healthy and happy life.

Till date, Foodpanda has helped satiate food cravings by helping customers to order food online. Their new campaign now induces patrons to generously feed the lesser privileged by contributing a margin of what they spend on candle light dinners, flowers and gifts on Valentine’s Day. With the noble gesture of the ‘Food for Soul’ campaign, Foodpanda lends support to Uday Foundation’s ongoing project ‘Santushti’ through which it has been providing nourishment and food to the impoverished. Uday Foundation is one of the most trusted grass root NGOs of India which works towards improving the lives of children and aims to ensure health with dignity to every underprivileged child and adult in the country.

Rohit Chadda, MD and Founder – Foodpanda.in said, “'Food for Soul' is our take on an entirely different way of celebrating Valentine's Day. There are millions of underprivileged children in India who struggle for every meal, every day. Through this initiative, we aim at touching some of these lives by providing them with food & healthcare. We are glad to tie up with Uday Foundation which has been doing great work in rehabilitating the destitute and supporting their well-being.”   

Dr. Hitendra Mahajan, Founding Member of Uday Foundation commented on the association with the campaign, “Gandhiji had once said, ‘To a man with an empty stomach, food is God.’ Driven by these words, Uday Foundation has been tirelessly working towards feeding those who find it hard to get even one square meal a day. Bringing out this campaign in time for Valentine’s Day increases the poignancy of the cause we are committed to. The ‘Food for Soul’ campaign in association with Foodpanda.in will help us reach a wider public.”

Under the ‘Santushti’ project, Uday Foundation runs a free food van to serve wholesome food to families of the underprivileged patients in ICUs of government hospitals. The van also feeds children who come from distant places to Delhi hospitals for long treatments. Foodpanda’s ‘Food for Soul’ campaign will provide support to this project. 

The campaign will start from February 14, 2014 till February 28,  2014.

Suguna Foods Forays Into Masala Market

Suguna Foods Limited, a leading food conglomerate in poultry, processed foods, refined soya bean oil, Milk and value added dairy products has launched5 variants of Masala’ sunder the brand ‘Mother’s Delight’.With these products Suguna Foods will enter the Masala industry in the South through both modern trade as well as neighborhood stores.The Mother’s Delight Masala will be available across a large network of existing Daily Fresh franchisee outlets.

Mother’s Delight Masala comes with the Perfect ingredients that are ground & blended the homemade Mother’s way which adds a magical and authentic taste to cooking.  Mother’s Delight Masala comes in five variants Chicken Masala, Chicken 65 Masala, Chicken Lollipop Masala, Chili chicken Masala and Egg curry Masala. The masala’s are made through carefully selected ingredients, ensuring only best quality spices goes into its making.

Talking on the occasion Mohan V K, Head – Consumer Products,Suguna Foods Limited said,“In a day & age where fast-food eating habits are rampant-- Suguna foods limited aims at reviving traditional foods with Mother’s Delight Masala which will revolutionise the way cooking is looked at in the country. In fact the traditional masala recipes are done by expert teams after many consumer trials and feedbacks. The USP of the product is that the masala’s are made in the traditional way with a blend of perfect ingredients to ensure that the Mother gives her family the authentic taste all the time.”

The Mother’s Delight Masala variants are priced at Rs 25 while one special variant is priced at Rs 30 .

As a part of Suguna Foods strategy of focusing on growth from its food business, the foray into Masalas is a more step in this direction. More variants, curry mixes, seasoning, soup mix and more are planned to be launched under the Mother’s Delight brand.

A Taste Of Authentic North Indian Veg Cuisine

Mast Kalandar is one of the very few places in India that has spread its wings in cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai which serves authentic North Indian food. If you are looking for a quick and healthy bite then Mast Kalandar is the place to be. Mast Kalandar offers value for money combo, be it the paratha combo or the rice combo, the variety and taste will leave you wanting for more.

Mast Kalandar makes an optimum use of oil in their food preparation without compromising on the taste. With outlets in almost all the major areas in Bangalore, Mast Kalandar is surely worth a visit.

In a recently announced menu at Mast Kalandar consists of Alacarte and combo meals.

Alacarte consists of a variety of starters, chaats, curries, rice, breads, drinks & deserts to choose from. On the starter menu,you can find tandoori kebabs. The aloo sikandri tastes awesome so do the whole platter which includes aloo, paneer tikka & subj sikh kebab. Rice lovers will find biryani with a twist, tadka daal chawal, chole chawal, rajma chawal,kadhi chawal and khichdi to choose from...

In breads will be the parathas, roti and naans...
Curries includes veg of the day, paneer, chole , varieties of daal, kadhi etc.

The paratha combos are a must try. Parathas are accomplished raita, daal makhani, chutney and salad. Apart from the regular aloo, gobhi, mix veg parathas, you can find some delicious combinations of maithe paneer corn, cheese and spring onion or mirchi... paushtik paratha is also there with sprouts filling. The cost ranges from Rs 65-99.

The hulka phulka thaali is hulka phulka on the budget and health, but bhaari on taste. A must try if you are looking for a whole meal. it comes in 3 varieties HP1,2, or 3. The daily goers go for Hulka phulka. 

Then there are rice combos and curry combos. They serve some daily special combos like baingan bharta with jowar/ bajra roti. Every thing comes in the range of Rs. 65-125 with taxes extra.

For the drinks, the shikanji at mast Kalandar is a must try, if you like the sweet and salty taste of lemon water and jaljeera. The Mango lassi is heavenly. The deserts includes hot gulab jaamuns, malpue, rabdi, icecreams and halwa.

Any food you try, any combo you order, you can still find a more healthier option at Mast Kalandar, let it be the paushtik paratha or the options as bajra or jowar or whole wheat rotis.

Indian Fast-Foods Segment Will Touch $1.1b By 2016

India’s growing appetite for pizzas, burgers and French fries served with a side of rapid urbanization is set to swell the size of the country’s fast-food market to double its current size by 2016.

According to a report published by Crisil, the Indian unit of Standard & Poor’s rating agency published in 2013, the fast -food segment will be worth 70 billion rupees ($1.1 billion) in three years, largely driven by a surge in growth in the market share in smaller cities across the country.

Global fast-food giant McDonald’s set up its first store here in 1996 paving the way for many international chains, which have adapted their menus to local tastes.

For several years the chains were mostly confined to bigger cities and metros. However, with rising disposable income, changing lifestyles and eating patterns, Western-style fast-food chains are now penetrating at a faster pace into smaller cities, the report said.

Annual spending on fast-foods, such as burgers and pizzas, by middle-class households in these smaller cities is expected to surge by 150% to 3,750 rupees a family over the next three years, compared to 60% growth in metros and other big cities, the report said.

“This quantum jump in urban areas will be propelled by the increase in nuclear families and working women, steady growth in incomes, greater accessibility,” said Prasad Koparkar, senior director at Crisil, in the report.

In value terms, sales of pizzas, burgers and sandwiches account for about 80% of the domestic fast-food sales. Global brands currently have an aggregate market share of about 63% of the fast-food restaurants segment.

The move to localize the fast-food options – McDonald’s here does not serve beef or pork in line with religious customs in the country – has paid rich dividends to the global companies and helped them increase their customer base here.

Growth in sales of high-fat fast-foods has also expanded the population’s waistlines. India’s National Diabetes, Obesity & Cholesterol Foundation based in New Delhi says on its website that with the improved economic situation in the country, obesity rates are showing a marked upward trend in adults.

A study of school children conducted by the foundation in Delhi in 2011, found that between a quarter and a third of them were eating fast food, such as pizzas and burgers, more than two to three times a week.

With the U.S. fast-food market becoming increasingly crowded, many chains are looking to emerging economies for long-term expansion. Pizza company Dominos’ fastest-growing market is India, where it has several hundred outlets. The chain has one fifth of the market share in the Indian fast-food segment, while sandwich company Subway and McDonald’s have just over 10% each.

Over the next three years, new store additions by fast-food companies selling Western-style food will increase by 16%-18% annually — nearly half of those will be in smaller cities, the Crisil report said.

“Large players have already established a strong brand and are better-placed to take advantage of the lower lease rentals and limited competition that smaller cities offer,” the report said.

Currently these cities account for only a quarter of total stores.

Can Apples Be Cultivated in Karnataka?

There is a need to explore the possibilities of growing apples in Karnataka, according to Chiranjit Parmar, horticultural scientist from Himachal Pradesh.

Addressing a group of farmers on the ‘possibilities of cultivating apples in Karnataka’, he said he had sent 300 plants to Karnataka in January 2011, and they were planted in 18 different locations in the State.

He said some plants progressed well, grew incessantly and did not shed leaves during December- January when apple trees become leafless. Some plants have started flowering at some locations during the second year of their orchard life.

Observation of the plant growth trend indicates that there is a possibility of cultivating apple in Karnataka, he said.

“This, however, is the beginning, and the idea needs further testing on a larger scale,” Parmar said.

Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, K. Krishna Shetty, a farmer from Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, said he led the initiative to cultivate apples on a trial basis two years ago.

In 2011, he planted 18 saplings. Of them, two survived. The failure of other saplings is because he could not concentrate much on their growth. However, he planted 20 saplings in 2012. Of them, two died. This time, he spent more time on those plants, Shetty said. 

Stating that he is planning to plant 50 plants in his farm this year, he said he would grow them on a trial basis. He is not expecting any commercial benefits out of this cultivation.“I will absorb the failures, if any,” he said. Parmar said two-year-old plants of Tumkur-based farmer Gangadhara Murthy are showing good growth. Three of the plants have shown the signs of bearing fruits, he said. 

Both Parmar and Shetty said that the idea of apple cultivation in Karnataka needs further studies. The farmers, who are cultivating them, are doing it out of interest and not for commercial purpose, they added.

Source: FKCCI