Regional dishes still rule Indian breakfast tables despite protein trend

Id Fresh Foods started selling rice batter for dosa and idli in 2005, identifying a white space in the packaged food market

Even as the Indian packaged food market goes through a protein revolution, and gut-friendly products like Greek yoghurt gain favour, when it comes to breakfast, a large number of urban Indians are still choosing the traditional dishes over western items.

 

iD Fresh Food started selling rice batter for dosa and idli in 2005, identifying a white space in the packaged food market. In the 20 years since, the brand has grown to a revenue of ₹681.38 crore in 2024-25 (FY25) while recording a net profit of ₹50.75 crore in the same period.

 

“Over the last two years, we have witnessed double-digit growth, supported by both an increase in household penetration and higher consumption among existing consumers. The category has benefited from a steady influx of new users,” Rajat Diwakar, chief executive officer (CEO) India at iD Fresh Food told Business Standard.

 

According to a recent FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) pulse report by market researcher Worldpanel by Numerator (formerly Kantar Worldpanel), ready-to-cook (RTC) mixes is among the two categories to double its volumes in the last two years, adding 18 million new households during the period.

 

“Primarily driven by batters and mixes that are ready to be cooked, the category is a high potential one for the next decade,” the report stated.

 

A deep sense of familiarity and emotional connection have powered this growth, Diwakar pointed out. But beyond nostalgia, “these foods are typically prepared fresh and are inherently more wholesome compared to many heavily processed breakfast alternatives. Staples like idli, dosa, and upma are nutritionally balanced, comforting and flavourful, making them a natural choice and relevant across generations,” he added.

 

Meanwhile, products like cornflakes have witnessed dwindling volumes. According to the researcher, cornflakes have witnessed about 14 per cent volume loss in the last two years. Muesli, oats, and porridge (MOP) have seen growth in excess of 1.5 times in the same time, but batter sales still outweigh these premium options.

 

For AWL Agri Business Limited, poha sales saw a double-digit year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth in FY25, underpinned by strong sales across both general trade and alternative channels, the company said, adding that the product’s retail penetration grew by 40 per cent Y-o-Y in FY25.

 

Orkla India, which owns and operates brands like MTR Foods and Eastern Spices and listed on the bourses earlier this year, too, has witnessed growth on the back of sustained interest in the Indian RTC/ready-to-eat (RTE) category.

 

The company is working to transform convenience foods in line with consumer needs, and is especially looking to build the breakfast segment with innovations like RTC chilled dosa batter, upma, and puttu batter.

 

“In breakfast, we have extended the traditional powder range that we had to a fresh, ready-to-use batter, which has been in the market for the last two years. For Eastern, we have extended it from batter, which has been in the market for the last two years. For Eastern, we have extended it from anything between two hours and eight hours to make. We have got five-minute versions now,” Sanjay Sharma, managing director (MD) and CEO at Orkla India told investors while announcing the company’s September quarter results.

 

Meanwhile, under the MTR “three-minute range”, it also sells a variety of poha to cater to regional tastes and local consumption habits.

 

“The Indian breakfast category takes up more shelf space, and is a larger category than other breakfast-related items,” Anuj Singh, CEO, Spencer’s Retail, told Business Standard on the sidelines of the recently held CII IndiaEdge 2025 conclave.

 

According to Deloitte’s August report titled “Spotting India’s prime innovation moment”, the RTC segment volume doubled over 2022-24 (58 per cent growth in 2024) as consumers bought instant dosa batters, gravy/pasta mixes and meal kits for speed, yet preferred to “finish cooking at home”.

 

“We definitely see more people picking up packets of poha, and instant variants of upma, pongal, and even parathas. Sales have remained steady when it comes to Indian options, and sales of rice batters have grown. In comparison, sales of western breakfast items like muesli or granola have fallen massively,” said the sales head at a prominent grocery chain based in Delhi-NCR. 

On the table

• Ready-to-cook mixes among the two categories have doubled the volumes in the last two years
• Products like cornflakes have witnessed dwindling volumes
• For AWL Agri Business Limited, poha sales saw a double-digit year-on-year growth in FY25
• Orkla India looks to build the breakfast segment with innovations like RTC chilled dosabatter, upma batter, and puttu batter