ACME Group forays into packaged foods with snacks under ACME Poshan
Launches snacks, protein bars and noodles under ACME Poshan
 "ACME Group forays into packaged foods with snacks under ACME Poshan")
ACME group has entered into the packaged foods space with ACME Poshan and its initial roll-out started in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) this month.
Under ACME Poshan, it has launched 10 products with 17 stock-keeping units (SKUs) across snacks, protein bars and noodles categories with its rollout in 300 retail stores across south, west and north Delhi as well as Gurugram.
“Five years ago, we set our focus on solving a futuristic challenge that India is expected to face. How do we nourish a growing population in a responsible manner? The fact-finding mission was anchored in our core philosophy of finding a sustainable solution that’s aligned to our commitment of creating a better tomorrow. Our problem-solving vision has since become a bold pivot from our core flagship business of green energy to diversify into clean label nutritional foray,” Manoj Kumar Upadhyay, founder and chairman at ACME group told Business Standard in an email response.
On the subject of entering a category where there are established players who dominate, Upadhyay said that there is no doubt that India’s food sector, and particularly the categories we are targeting, are dominated by large and well-established incumbents. However, these categories currently exhibit a clear white space for pure-play, clean-label, high-protein food products.
On the portfolio expansion, he said that the company has commenced its roll-out with four product categories: noodles, puffs, sticks and energy bars. Over the next 12 months, it plans to expand its portfolio to 30-40 categories across ready-to-eat products in bakery, snacks, ready-to-cook frozen, unfrozen packaged foods and everyday staples, resulting in approximately 150-200 clean-label, high-protein products.
“We aim to establish a presence in the top 10 markets within the first 12 months and will expand to the remaining cities in this cohort within 20-24 months of launch,” Upadhyay added.
“Over the last five years, we have built ACME Poshan’s ‘lab-to-kitchen’ journey as India’s first pure-play clean-label food portfolio, creating the foundational framework for a sustainably produced green food category that addresses long-term food security and protein availability for the mass market. Today, clean-label high-protein food products remain a premium-priced, niche segment; our goal is to democratise this space and make such products as affordable as paneer. Affordability of what is today a super-premium offering, combined with true mass access, is at the core of our go-to-market strategy,” he added.
While talking about acquisitions in the space, Upadhyay said that it does not see many meaningful opportunities for inorganic growth in this space. “Our early journey will, therefore, be driven primarily by organic growth, as we focus on building the category, earning consumer trust and proving our proposition,” he explained.
“As the market matures and consumer preferences evolve, we believe there will be room for strategic collaborations and partnerships -- whether for investments, technology sharing or breakthrough product innovations. We remain open and committed to evaluating all such opportunities that are strongly aligned with our long-term strategic direction and our vision for ACME Poshan,” he said.