PepsiCo India to strengthen presence in namkeen segments with Kurkure Playz range

PepsiCo India will launch a sub-brand for Kurkure to strengthen its presence in the namkeen segment, which is largely dominated by regional and unorganized players.

In keeping with consumers' rising preference for snacks with a lighter texture, it has created a new product named Kurkure Playz Pastax in addition to moving its current product Puffcorn under the new sub-brand.

According to Neha Prasad, Associate Director and Brand Lead of Kurkure, the Kurkure Playz launch allows their iconic brand to tap into the rapidly growing softer texture namkeen snacks and expand its product format.

He added that the winning product propositions of Kurkure Playz Puffcorn and Kurkure Playz Pastax will help them

Nearly 10 percent of all salty snacks sold in India fall into the soft namkeen category, which is expanding at a double-digit rate annually.

In addition to the pellet format, the soft namkeen segment is often sold in the puffed format, which accounts for around 60% of the soft namkeen segment.

DFM Foods, Prataap Snacks, and Haldiram are a few regional companies with a presence in this market niche.