DS Group eyes Rs.100 crore sales from Pulse candy

Diversified conglomerate DS Group's confectionary division is expecting Rs.100 crore in sales during the current financial year from hard-boiled candy product Pulse, a company official said.

Announcing the launch of mango-flavoured product in south Indian market on Wednesday, the Noida-based Dharampal Satyapal group's (DS Group) vice-president (new product development) Shashank Surana said Pulse, launched in in Gujarat and Rajasthan earlier this year, will have pan India presence by December.

The 'kachcha aam' (unripe mango) flavoured product priced at one rupee has tremendous response in the two states and has already clocked sales of about Rs.50 crore, he said.

Surana said the response to test marketing in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in the last few months was phenomenal.

According to A.C. Nielsen, Hyderabad ranks number two as a consumer city for hard boiled candy and south India is the second biggest market after the north with a contribution of around 26 percent.

The Rs.6,500-crore group's confectionery division, which operates under the 'Pass Pass' mother brand, currently has three products - Pass Pass, Chingles and Pulse.

The confectionary division is expected to have Rs.220 crore turnover during the current financial year.

"The hard-boiled candy market in India is currently estimated at Rs.1,800 crore and is the largest sub-segment of the NGNC (non gum, non chocolate) category. It is growing at 9 percent and therefore we saw a great opportunity in this segment," said Surana.

The company has outsourced manufacturing of Pulse to two manufacturers each in Hyderabad and Gujarat and one in Uttarakhand. It plans to have two more units in NCR.