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Parle G largest selling biscuit brand in world

Shweta Jain & Reeba Zachariah

If you thought that a typical family run Indian company cannot top the worldwide charts, think again. The homegrown biscuit brand, Parle G, has proved the belief wrong by becoming the largest selling biscuit brand in the world.

Ajay Chauhan, executive director of Parle Products, told Business Standard: "The more than 50-year-old brand, Parle G, has been rated as the largest selling glucose biscuit brand in the whole world in terms of volumes. This came as a surprise to us when we were made to understand that we have topped the worldwide charts of the global biscuits industry. This was recently revealed by the US based Bakery Manufacturers' Association."

The other global biscuit brands include Oreo from Nabisco and McVities from UK-based United Biscuits among others. According to ORG-MARG reports, Parle G commands a good 65 per cent market share in the domestic biscuit market. The glucose biscuits category in India is estimated at Rs 15 billion. The Parle G brand faces competition from Britannia's Tiger brand of biscuits.

The company's flagship brand, Parle G, contributes more than 50 per cent to the company's total turnover. The other biscuits in the Parle Products' basket includes Monaco, Krack Jack, Marie, Hide n Seek, Cheeslings, Jeffs, Sixer and Fun Centre. Said Chauhan: "The core brands of the company in the biscuit category will include only Parle G, Monaco and Krack Jack. The other brands will not be aggressively supported by us in the market."

"This is because these three brands contribute substantially to our topline," Chauhan added.

The confectionery business, which is the other division of Parle Products, currently contributes only 15 per cent to the company's total turnover. Interestingly, the company started operations with the confectionery business in 1929.

Chauhan elucidated: "The confectionery business has now taken a backseat and has become a smaller part of our business because in India biscuits have a larger market."

The company commands a 40 per cent marketshare in the Rs 35 billion biscuit market in India. In the confectionery segment, the company enjoys a mere 15 per cent marketshare.

The company's confectionery portfolio comprises brands like Melody 2 in 1, MangoBite, Poppins, Rol-a-cola, Kismi, Rosemint, Peppermint, Orange candy, Fruit Drops, Pick n Pack and Tangy. Chauhan has picked up three core brands from this category as well, they being Melody 2 in 1, Poppins and MangoBite.

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