It is not all about sugar: Mondelez India MD Deepak Iyer

From luxury to an indulgence to an unhealthy snack — how does a brand like Cadbury tackle changing customer perceptions about chocolate? 

Chocolate is not all about sugar, it is just as much about cocoa and milk. And we all know their benefits. What would life be without any sweets in India? In a way, we play at creating these moments of joy.  It’s not like everyone is eating a huge slab of chocolate. 

Per capita consumption in India is just 100 gms per person, way below the developed world. 

How do old brands stay relevant?

Cadbury is the original chocolate in India. There have been innovations, the first aerated chocolate was the Silk Bubbly, the first center-filled chocolate was Silk Caramel and so on.

What is the brand’s digital play? 

The retail landscape has changed. We have e-commerce which is changing shopper behavior. Today, a shopper can choose to buy from traditional, modern trade or e-commerce. All three channels are salient, important and will remain for years to come. As a company, we need to be omni channel enabled.