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Bengaluru: Indian consumer branding is undergoing a quiet transformation, as companies adopt culturally familiar brand personas rather than Westernised ones to win shoppers.A new generation of homegrown labels, such as Nicobar, Gully Labs, and Vahdam Teas, is keeping Indian aesthetics, local languages, regional stories, and indigenous craftsmanship at the forefront of their products and communication. From design motifs inspired by traditional art to campaigns rooted in everyday Indian experiences, these firms are tapping into the growing consumer appetite for authenticity and cultural relevance.New Delhi-based Gully Labs, which sells modern sneakers for men and women, curates all its products with local artisans and derives its name from the Hindi word 'gully,' meaning street.

Dear reader, as 2025, a year of global tumult and volatility, rolls by, Mint's reporters and columnists look around the corner on what is coming in 2026—to help you know what to expect and prepare for it. Tell us what you think at [email protected] struggled to protect farmers as the country’s agrarian distress worsened in 2025.Severe monsoon rains caused devastating floods in Punjab, inundating almost 200,000 hectares of farmland, besides damaging crops in Haryana and Maharashtra, notably the Marathwada region.

Mint explains why the rule is being enforced now, who it affects, and what changes brands must make.The FSSAI has clarified that under the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011, “tea”—including variants such as Kangra tea, green tea and instant tea—must be obtained exclusively from the plant Camellia sinensis. Any infusion or blend made from other plants, flowers or herbs does not meet this legal standard and therefore cannot be named or marketed as “tea”.The decision flows from the Labelling and Display Regulations, 2020, which require every food package to clearly indicate the “true nature” of the product.

Dear reader, as 2025, a year of global tumult and volatility, rolls by, Mint's reporters and columnists look around the corner on what is coming in 2026—to help you know what to expect and prepare for it. Tell us what you think at [email protected]: India’s pet care market is suddenly swelling with contenders, as consumer giants chase a new generation of indulgent pet parents and their ‘fur babies’.

Dear reader, as 2025, a year of global tumult and volatility, rolls by, Mint's reporters and columnists look around the corner on what is coming in 2026—to help you know what to expect and prepare for it. Tell us what you think at [email protected] has the milk but not the export muscle.That imbalance has defined its dairy sector for years: a country that is among the world’s largest milk producers, yet remains a marginal player in global dairy trade.

₹65,000-crore domestic paneer market, according to two government officials and a document reviewed by Mint.Authorities have frequently seized fake paneer ahead of major festivals, when demand surges, giving unscrupulous traders an opportunity to flood markets with adulterated products, posing a threat to consumer health.To curb this unsavoury practice, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) proposes to make it compulsory for paneer substitutes (products made from non-dairy ingredients such as vegetable oils) as “paneer analogue”, while prohibiting the use of any dairy-related terminology, to help consumers clearly distinguish them from milk-based paneer.“Currently, analogues are designed to mimic the white, creamy appearance of traditional or real paneer, often using starches and emulsifiers to replicate the texture. The proposed regulations aim to empower consumers to make informed choices instantly and promote healthy eating,” said the first of the two government officials cited earlier, both of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity.For clear visual identification, these substitutes will have food colour added to them to ensure that they stand out from the white and natural dairy paneer or paneer-based products.

Mint.The deal size is expected to be $50-60 million ( ₹449-538 crore) and would likely provide a full exit to the promoters, one of the people said, adding that the transaction is likely to close in the coming weeks.The acquisition is part of Pulsar’s broader strategy to build a food platform through the consolidation of multiple assets, the second person said.Both spoke on the condition of anonymity.The mid-market private equity firm has a strong footprint across India, West Asia and other emerging markets. Led by former TPG executive Vish Narain, Pulsar has backed several consumer-facing companies, including Biryani by Kilo and Blue Tokai, and earlier this year partnered with PJP Investments to bring Papa John’s Pizza to India.Pulsar and Nandhana did not immediately respond to Mint’s requests for comment.Founded in 2004 by Ravichandar Ramaswamy, Nandhana Palace is among the more prominent Andhra-style restaurant chains, with multiple outlets across Bengaluru and Chennai.

₹500 for a plate of six pieces.“Sushi’s vibrant colour palette and visual presentation make it particularly appealing to younger consumers, many of whom are drawn to dishes that photograph well for social-media platforms such as Instagram,” said Shravan Singh, manager of the two-year-old restaurant.In Kanpur, the dish is the highlight of the menu of another such small restaurant, “Oishi the temple of Wok”. It offers a variety of sushi, including Prawn Tempura, Avocado Cream Cheese, and Smoked Salmon.

processing, packaging, food-safety systems, branding and value-addition across all categories.Organized processors and brands are increasingly investing in modern facilities that meet food safety, traceability and quality standards, in line with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulations.“Nowadays consumers are far more conscious about quality, hygiene, origin and nutritional information. This is pushing the demand and companies to adopt better processing practices and introduce new products,” said Yash Gawdi, founder & CEO, Candor Foods Pvt Ltd.According to doctors, the rising consumption of dry fruits and nuts reflects a broader shift.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi/Karnal: In 2002, Rakshit Jagdale, a young MBA student, went pub crawling in Glasgow, Scotland. Not on a drunken soiree with batchmates but on a more onerous task, assigned by his father.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India, the world’s tea-drinking heartland and home to sprawling tea estates, is witnessing a shift in consumer tastes as its youngest consumers embrace Southeast Asian variants like boba and matcha. Boba tea, which originated in Taiwan, is a cold, milk-based beverage featuring tapioca pearls, while matcha is finely ground green tea powder, most commonly consumed as an iced latte.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: As India manages record procurement volumes at home while cementing its role as a key supplier in the global food markets, the government is preparing to roll out artificial intelligence (AI)-powered automated grain analyzers (AGA) from next year to modernize how food grains are tested, stored and distributed, two people with direct knowledge of the development said.

On Thursday the Union government passed the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill 2025 in the Lok Sabha, proposing a sweeping overhaul of India’s two-decade-old rural job guarantee programme. It has now been sent to the Rajya Sabha for discussion.The new bill seeks to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 and the scheme named after it, MGNREGS, which has 260 million registered workers and covers 26,9000 gram panchayats across India.According to the government, the bill seeks to transform the nature of the scheme by bringing states in as partners, and resolve a longstanding problem in the rural job market—of MGNREGA jobs competing with regular ones when their wages are close to or higher than what local farmers or small contractors pay.Critics, however, say the bill significantly increases the financial and administrative burden on local governments as it passes on some of the wage costs – currently borne entirely by the Centre – to states.Mint takes a closer look at proposed changes, their implications, and the critisisms against them.In a statement on the new bill, the government said rural India has undergone a transformation over the past two decades.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: India's food delivery sector directly employed 1.37 million workers in 2023-24, up from 1.08 million in 2021-22, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.3%, according to a recent study by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), and investment group Prosus. It thus comfortably outpaced India’s overall employment growth rate of 7.9% over the same period.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Vishal Mega Mart Ltd has completed a year on the stock exchanges, and investors can scarcely complain. The shares are up 18% from the closing price on the listing date of 18 December 2024 and nearly 70% above the IPO issue price of ₹78.

India’s economic growth is not producing enough jobs for its youth. AI will not solve the problem. We need systemic solutions.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. SYDNEY—Arsen Ostrovsky’s wife and two young daughters were getting ready for the lighting of Hanukkah candles at Sydney’s scenic Bondi Beach on Sunday evening when Ostrovsky wandered off to get some food from a nearby stall. Then, at around 6:45 p.m., shots rang out.

India recorded ultra-low retail inflation of 0.25% in October and 0.71% in November. A sharp drop in food prices was a major reason behind the disinflation seen in recent months. The recent cuts in goods and services tax (GST) rates also played their part, primarily in October, the first full month with the revised rates.A Mint analysis of the inflation basket shows that October 2025 saw a month-on-month decline in prices (consumer price index) in 40% of the items—the highest ever under the current 2012 series, which has item-wise data from 2014.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. NEW DELHI : After more than four decades at Wipro, Vineet Agrawal is preparing to retire next month as chief executive officer of Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting and managing director of Wipro Enterprises. As he does, Agrawal is clear-eyed about the challenge ahead for the homegrown FMCG business: it remains a “fairly small" player and must grow across multiple categories to scale faster.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. In 2015, the Serendipity Arts Festival was envisaged as a project that would bring the arts out of rigid compartments. According to Smriti Rajgarhia, director, Serendipity Arts Foundation and Festival, the decision to create these conversations between art forms wasn’t arbitrary but about restoring something fundamental.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. A career as an influencer may be an instinctive choice for younger Indians born in the digital age. But even older professionals in their 40s, 50s and 60s are taking it as a serious pursuit.