Mondelez India launches Biscoff, targets top-three global market position

Mondelez India has introduced Lotus Biscoff cookies to expand its premium portfolio, aiming to make India a top-three global market as it begins local manufacturing and leads brand distribution

Mondelez India has expanded its premium cookie portfolio by bringing Lotus Biscoff cookies into the country and aims for India to be among the top three countries for the biscuit.

 

The maker of Dairy Milk chocolates will also manufacture the cookie, which originates in Belgium, in India. Mondelez India will also lead the brand’s marketing and distribution. It will be available across traditional trade (mom-and-pop stores), modern trade (supermarkets and hypermarkets), e-commerce, and quick commerce. Biscoff will start at a price point of Rs 10 and will be available across five pack sizes. The cookie is being manufactured at a facility in Alwar, Rajasthan.

 

 

Jan Boone, chief executive officer at Lotus Bakeries, said at a media roundtable, “We are the fastest-growing cookie around the world, and we have set our ambition to become number three.”

 

He added that if a brand wants to go global, then India should be a part of it. “We really wanted to become a brand in India. We now have the best possible partner to conquer India with Biscoff, and that partner is Mondelez,” Boone said.

 

Mondelez International and Lotus Bakeries had announced a strategic partnership to expand and grow the Lotus Biscoff cookie brand in India in June 2024.

 

Dirk Van De Put, chairman and CEO, Mondel?"z International, said in the release, “When we announced our partnership with Lotus Bakeries last year, our vision was clear — to bring together two iconic snacking brands and create something truly special for Indian consumers. This collaboration marks an exciting step in strengthening our play in the premium cookie segment and reflects our commitment to introduce millions of Indians to the Biscoff experience — one that is as unique as it is unforgettable.”

 

Both companies have also teamed up for ice creams, and they have already started to retail Biscoff ice cream in Europe.

 

How does Mondelez plan to price and position Biscoff in India? 

Sameer Jain, president–India, Mondel?"z International, also said at the roundtable, “The pricing overall will be an index of about 2.3 to 2.4 times the market average and is in the region of about Rs 400 to Rs 450 a kilogram.” He added, “The accessibility is across price points for different kinds of consumers, allowing us to tap into a very wide range of consumers, both in their entry and in the large packs.”

 

Can Biscoff help expand India’s premium cookie segment? 

He explained that bringing Biscoff into India is an attempt to premiumise the cookie market. Premium cookies are only 3.5–4 per cent of the entire cookie market in the country, and the opportunity for the segment to grow is immense.