Potential in snacks & packed food business, innovating portfolio for Indian taste: PepsiCo

Jagrut Kotecha said. Pepsico will expand its snacks business in India, as consumption is very low vis-a-vis other countries and with growing urbanisation and more money coming in the pockets with a growing economy, Kotecha expects consumption of packed foods to increase.
PepsiCo, the makers of Kurkure and Lays, has internally divided India into nine clusters to match the regional taste buds of «multiple Indias», he said, adding «if you say it's just one India, I think we are not doing enough justice to it.»
«You need to design your portfolio, keeping those consumers of India like multiple Indias. So that's on being consumer-centric and starting to work and drilling down on that. And then understanding what the trends are in terms of taste, profile, health and wellness,» Kotecha told PTI.

It is investing «a significant amount» in understanding consumers better as India has a rich heritage of food, cooking, beverages and drinks, he added.
PepsiCo presently has manufacturing plants at Mathura in UP, Channo in Punjab, Ranjangaon in Pune and Sankrail near Kolkata in West Bengal. Moreover, its next plant is coming up in Assam, which will be operational this year.

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Besides, PepsiCo plans two more greenfield plants, including one for South to meet the growing demand there.
Its food segment contributes nearly 80 per cent of its revenue, in which it operates through brands such as — Lays, Kurkure, Doritos and Quaker, and Kotecha expects growth in the coming years as the consumption in the Indian market is