Now, for a Britannia breakfast

Traditionally known as a biscuit maker, Britannia Industries has already undergone a major metamorphosis to become a snack brand in India. In the changed modern environment, it is now pining to become more of a foods company.

“We are slowly moving from side of plate to centre of plate with a range of breakfast products,” says Vinita Bali, Managing Director.

In a free-wheeling chat with this correspondent here recently, Ms. Bali asserted that, “we are looking not just at foods which a lot of people are doing but at a range of what we can do with oats.'' This perfectly fitted with Britannia's slogan “eat healthy, think better.''

Pointing out that “India is changing,'' she said “people are looking for convenient options.'' In this context, she felt that addition of oats would be an extension of the company's offerings in the breakfast product category.

Britannia, she said, had launched a range of breakfast foods under the brand Healthy Start. Four variants of oats had been test-marketed in Mumbai a few months ago. These had now been launched in the south, she added. Britannia had launched plain, strawberry, savoury and a multi-grain porridge in oats. The Rs.200-crore oats category, she pointed out, had seen 25-30 per cent growth rates. She attributed this primarily to changes in breakfast habits, in particular, lifestyles, in general. The Mumbai launch, she said, had fetched Britannia a 15 per cent share of the category. In the light of this, Britannia was now planning to take these products to other parts of the country. Britannia, Ms. Bali, said, also had a small range of Indian breakfast options: a plain, broken wheat and a poha upma.

Fielding a range of questions, she said, “we are becoming a complete foods company with these launches. Britannia, she pointed out, “operates in the space between snacks and foods.'' The consumption behaviour had been influenced by very many changes happening these days, she said. “You have more women working, more people are crunched for time and looking for smart solutions from a time and convenience perspective,'' she pointed out. “All these have created opportunities for companies like us,'' she added.