Sector Trends Analysis – Confectionary trends in India

Note: This report includes forecasting data that is based on baseline historical data.

Executive summary

Confectionary sales grew 10.3% annually over 2019 to 2023 supported by the strong performance of chocolate confectionery. Post-pandemic, demand for chocolate confectionery was driven by the stronger return to celebratory and festive occasions.

Sugar confectionary sales growth has partly been driven by rising prices due to higher inflation and input costs.

High sugar content in confectionery is facing growing challenges in India, primarily due to increasingly health-conscious consumers. Some states in India have implemented or are considering implementing sugar taxes on sugary beverages and high-sugar foods. Given the high smoking rates in India, demand for gum is anticipated to remain fairly stable as smokers use gum to conceal tobacco odour.

India's food retail sector is divided into modern channels and traditional channels with traditional channels making up 81% of all offline retail. Over 2019 to 2023, ecommerce showed the highest growth in sales and is expected to continue growing at the expense of offline channels.

Most new confectionary products claims between 2019 to 2023 were vegetarian, environmentally based, and "no/low" claims, which suggests that consumers prefer ethical and healthy confectionary. Top flavours included plain, orange, and almond.

 

Market overview

Confectionary sales grew 10.3% annually over 2019 to 2023 supported by the strong performance of chocolate confectionery and with all categories seeing sales growing. Post-pandemic, demand for chocolate confectionery was driven by the stronger return to celebratory and festive occasions.

Sugar confectionary sales growth has partly been driven by rising prices due to higher inflation and input costs. With changing consumer demands, industry players are focusing on building premium portfolios by either introducing novel products or options with healthier claims to drive growth.

High sugar content in confectionery is facing growing challenges in India, primarily due to increasingly health-conscious consumers. Some states in India have implemented or are considering implementing sugar taxes on sugary beverages and high-sugar foods. In response, industry players are reformulating their products to reduce sugar content and exploring healthier alternatives to remain competitive in a market that is increasingly focused on health and wellbeing.

Confectionery retail sales in India by subcategory - Historic and forecast retail sales in US$ millions
Category 2019 2023 CAGR* % 2019-2023 2024 2028 CAGR* % 2024-2028
Confectionery 5,594.6 8,277.4 10.3 9,062.5 12,434.5 8.2
Chocolate confectionery 1,484.4 2,429.8 13.1 2,720.4 4,018.4 10.2
Chocolate pouches and bags 152.1 250.6 13.3 287.6 458.0 12.3
Boxed assortments 73.7 123.5 13.8 139.5 222.1 12.3
Chocolate with toys 163.4 242.3 10.3 265.2 379.3 9.4
Countlines 418.2 707.6 14.1 788.4 1,109.0 8.9
Tablets 676.7 1,096.8 12.8 1,226.5 1,812.5 10.3
Other chocolate confectionery 0.3 9.1 138.9 13.2 37.5 29.9
Gum 218.7 257.9 4.2 268.3 301.6 3.0
Bubble gum 127.9 148.5 3.8 154.2 169.3 2.4
Chewing gum 90.7 109.4 4.8 114.1 132.4 3.8
Sugar confectionery 1,094.2 1,450.9 7.3 1,542.6 1,897.2 5.3
Boiled sweets 168.8 218.4 6.7 230.8 278.7 4.8
Lollipops 21.1 27.1 6.5 28.3 32.4 3.4
Medicated confectionery 91.1 118.6 6.8 124.2 144.7 3.9
Mints 127.6 152.8 4.6 159.8 185.8 3.8
Pastilles, gummies, jellies and chews 136.3 207.4 11.1 230.6 336.7 9.9
Toffees, caramels and nougat 549.4 726.7 7.2 768.8 918.9 4.6

Source: Euromonitor International, 2024

*CAGR: Compound annual growth rate

Top ten confectionary crands in India 2019 to 2023 - Retail sales in US$ millions
Brand (company) 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 CAGR* % 2018-2022
Cadbury Dairy Milk (Mondelez International Inc) 455.3 462.0 537.6 650.6 804.4 15.3
Cadbury (Mondelez International Inc) 398.3 421.0 499.7 594.7 709.9 15.5
Kit Kat (Nestlé SA) 72.1 79.6 101.1 131.2 165.0 23.0
Kinder (Ferrero & related parties) 124.4 106.1 109.7 132.8 158.0 6.2
Parle (Parle Products Pvt Ltd) 122.8 129.7 139.0 148.2 157.6 6.4
Munch (Nestlé SA) 69.8 76.4 97.0 118.5 141.2 19.3
Candyman (ITC Group) 123.2 127.1 131.2 134.6 138.9 3.1
Alpenliebe (Perfetti Van Melle Group) 67.1 58.7 72.7 81.5 89.5 7.5
Kismi (Parle Products Pvt Ltd) 51.6 55.4 59.3 64.0 68.1 7.2
Center Fruit (Perfetti Van Melle Group) 63.9 55.3 61.4 65.3 68.0 1.6
Others 641.8 678.0 723.9 785.0 826.6 6.5

Source: Euromonitor International, 2024

*CAGR: Compound annual growth rate

Chocolate confectionary

Within confectionary, chocolate confectionary sales grew fastest by 13.1% annually with sub category sales growth in double digits. Other chocolate confectionary is expected to grow fastest over 2024 to 2028 by 29.9% over the next five years. Higher demand for chocolate confectionery is supported by the rise in celebrations and gifting occasions combined with the fact that chocolate is emerging in India as a popular dessert to consume after meals. In addition, increasingly health-conscious consumers are favouring chocolate confectionery over sugar confectionary, due to perceptions of it being a healthier alternative to sugar confectionery.

According to Euromonitor, per capita consumption of chocolate confectionery in India in 2023 is only 7% of consumption in the U.S. and 10% of consumption in the UK. Generally, chocolate confectionery in India is primarily focused on gifting, festive and celebration occasions. The festive/gift giving season in India, which covers Durga Puja, Deepavali, Christmas and Onam, all falling in the third and fourth quarters of the year, is the time of year when chocolate and confectionery see a steep rise in sales.

Chocolate confectionery is gaining momentum with innovative new formats, flavours and textures. For example, to generate more regular consumption occasions, players are focusing on launching newer variants aimed at creating new positionings. For example, the Mondelez chocolate brand, Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk, enjoys strong brand equity in premium chocolate confectionery with the launch of a new variant, Ganache, in 2023 and positioned it as premium dessert. Ganache has origins in France, where it is considered a luxury dessert.

Top ten chocolate confectionary brands in India 2019 to 2023 - Retail sales in US$ millions
Brand (company) 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 CAGR* % 2019-2023
Cadbury Dairy Milk (Mondelez International Inc) 455.3 462.0 537.6 650.6 804.4 15.3
Cadbury (Mondelez International Inc) 323.3 339.7 411.2 498.6 605.7 17.0
Kit Kat (Nestlé SA) 72.1 79.6 101.1 131.2 165.0 23.0
Kinder (Ferrero & related parties) 124.4 106.1 109.7 132.8 158.0 6.2
Munch (Nestlé SA) 69.8 76.4 97.0 118.5 141.2 19.3
Nestlé (Nestlé SA) 42.3 44.0 49.7 56.8 63.8 10.8
Snickers (Mars Inc) 30.8 25.8 28.8 34.0 39.4 6.3
Brookside (Hershey Co, The) 18.3 18.3 21.1 24.0 26.7 9.9
LuvIt (Global Consumer Products Pvt Ltd) 18.6 20.3 22.1 24.2 26.2 8.9
Amul (Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd) 16.8 17.9 19.6 22.9 26.1 11.6
Others 264.7 265.8 287.6 296.1 301.0 3.3

Source: Euromonitor International, 2024

*CAGR: Compound annual growth rate

Sugar confectionary

Sugar confectionary sales increased by 3.6% annually over 2019 to 2023 with all categories seeing sales growth. Sales are expected to grow by 2.3% over 2024 to 2028. Sugar confectionary sales growth has partly been driven by rising prices due to higher inflation and input costs. With changing consumer demands, players are focusing on building premium portfolios by either introducing novel products or options with healthier claims to drive growth.

Toffees, caramels and nougat dominate sugar confectionary, representing almost half the category. Boiled sweets, mints, pastilles, gummies, jellies, and chews bring innovative alternatives in terms of product format, healthier alternative perspective and interesting flavours.

According to Euromonitor, mints with a functional positioning and healthier claims are expected to gain greater prominence over 2024 to 2028 as consumers become increasingly health-conscious. Mint-based sugar confectionery in India is increasingly formulated with functional ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, antioxidants, probiotics, and more. These ingredients are chosen for their potential health benefits, which can range from improved oral health and digestion to stress relief and energy enhancement. Functional mints are expected to gain greater resonance as disposable incomes in India are set to rise over 2024 to 2028.

Major players in mints are often associated with oral health, such as freshening breath and promoting dental hygiene. For example, Falero has introduced fruit-based chews, which are perceived as a healthier option compared to traditional toffees, which are often associated with high sugar content or artificial flavours. Falero's claim of using real fruit pulp and natural flavours appeals to consumers looking for healthier confectionery snacks, and thus pastilles, gummies, jellies, and chews is gaining prominence.

Top ten sugar confectionary brands in India in 2019 to 2023 - Retail sales in US$ millions
Brand (company) 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 CAGR* % 2019-2023
Parle (Parle Products Pvt Ltd) 122.8 129.7 139.0 148.2 157.6 6.4
Candyman (ITC Group) 123.2 127.1 131.2 134.6 138.9 3.1
Cadbury (Mondelez International Inc) 75.0 81.4 88.4 96.2 104.2 8.5
Alpenliebe (Perfetti Van Melle Group) 67.1 58.7 72.7 81.5 89.5 7.5
Kismi (Parle Products Pvt Ltd) 51.6 55.4 59.3 64.0 68.1 7.2
Falero (Mapro Foods Pvt Ltd) 42.0 46.2 53.1 60.4 67.0 12.4
Mint-O (ITC Group) 54.6 56.6 57.7 60.7 62.7 3.5
Vicks (Procter & Gamble Co, The) 43.3 45.8 49.0 52.3 55.4 6.4
Eclairs (Nestlé SA) 27.0 27.8 31.2 34.3 37.4 8.5
Pulse (DS Group) 26.2 25.3 30.1 33.2 36.4 8.6
Others 335.3 355.6 377.3 426.8 462.0 8.3

Source: Euromonitor International, 2024

*CAGR: Compound annual growth rate

Gum

Gum sales increased by 4.2% annually over 2019 to 2023 with sales expected to grow by 3.0% annually over 2024 to 2028. In India, chewing gum and bubble gum traditionally have a strong correlation with the smoking population, as smokers use gum to conceal tobacco odour. Given the high smoking rates in the country, demand for gum is anticipated to remain fairly stable.

According to Euromonitor, high inflation, sugar and sweetner price volatility, energy price volatility, and supply chain disruptions have significantly impacted production costs and profitability of gum in India. This is expected to continue over 2024 to 2028. Givern that gum in India is highly dependent on volume sales, going forward, it is expected that major players will look to create premium flavours and new product formats to drive profits. However, the challenge is expected to be how to scale these higher value products, given the high price-sensitivity for the category.

The sale of oral care products designed for refreshment, including mouthwashes/dental rinses and mouth fresheners, is expected to grow steadily over the forecast period. These oral care products are gaining prominence with qualities such as portability, an array of appealing flavours, and are considered more suitable for use in office environments, where chewing gum might be regarded as impolite.

Top ten gum confectionary brands in India 2019 to 2023 - Retail sales in US$ millions
Brand (company) 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 CAGR* % 2019-2023
Center Fruit (Perfetti Van Melle Group) 63.9 55.3 61.4 65.3 68.0 1.6
Center Fresh (Perfetti Van Melle Group) 59.7 53.2 59.5 64.1 67.0 2.9
Big Babol (Perfetti Van Melle Group) 25.0 21.8 23.1 24.8 27.2 2.1
Boomer (Mars Inc) 13.3 12.9 14.2 15.3 16.0 4.7
Happydent (Perfetti Van Melle Group) 11.4 9.8 10.9 11.6 12.3 2.0
Extra/Orbit (Mars Inc) 4.0 3.9 4.0 4.1 4.5 3.0
Bubbaloo (Mondelez International Inc) 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.5 3.6 3.1
Gumon (ITC Group) 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 4.9
Chlor-Mint (Perfetti Van Melle Group) 1.6 1.4 1.6 1.8 1.9 3.5
Candico (Candico India Ltd) 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7 0.6
Others 31.9 46.8 48.7 51.3 52.2 13.1

Source: Euromonitor International, 2024

*CAGR: Compound annual growth rate

Retail channels

India's food retail sector is divided into modern channels (hypermarkets, supermarkets, cash and carry stores, and e-retail) and traditional channels (Kirana stores, mobile pushcarts, kiosks, and independent vendors) with traditional channels making up 81% of all offline retail.

Over 2019 to 2023, ecommerce showed the highest sales growth and is expected to continue growing at the expense of offline channels. Offline channels, which accounted for almost 100% of total sales in 2023, experienced a 9.7% annual increase in sales, while ecommerce saw a 53.4% annual increase in sales. Super and hypermarkets were the fastest growing offline channel at 11.7% annually over 2019 to 2023.

Due to more stringent health and safety regulations, leading to higher demand for hygienic and sanitised outlets, packaged products and digital payments, traditional outlets were negatively impacted during the pandemic. This shift towards modern formats is expected to continue over the forecast period.

Distribution channels for confectionary in India 2019 to 2023 - Retail value sales in US$ millions
Outlet type 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 CAGR* % 2019-2023
Retail Ooffline 2,774.6 2,816.7 3,139.6 3,553.8 4,012.7 9.7
Grocery retailers 2,717.0 2,756.4 3,073.4 3,480.8 3,934.0 9.7
Convenience retail 24.1 24.3 27.2 30.6 34.2 9.1
Convenience stores 13.4 14.2 15.3 16.7 18.1 7.7
Forecourt retailers 10.6 10.1 11.9 13.8 16.1 10.8
Supermarkets 166.3 169.8 193.1 223.3 258.7 11.7
Hypermarkets 157.9 164.3 186.5 214.2 245.4 11.7
Food/drink/tobacco specialists 115.0 112.1 118.6 130.2 141.1 5.2
Small local grocers 2,253.9 2,285.8 2,548.1 2,882.6 3,254.8 9.6
Non-grocery retailers 57.6 60.3 66.2 73.0 78.6 8.1
Health and beauty specialists 57.6 60.3 66.2 73.0 78.6 8.1
Retail E-commerce 22.7 38.0 63.8 95.6 126.0 53.4
Total 2,797.3 2,854.7 3,203.5 3,649.5 4,138.6 10.3

Source: Euromonitor International, 2024

*CAGR: Compound annual growth rate

New product launches

A total of 2,551 new confectionary products were introduced over 2019 to 2023. Most claims were vegetarian, environmentally based, and "no/low" claims, which suggests that consumers prefer ethical and healthy confectionary. Top flavours included plain, orange, and almond.

New launches of snacks products in Japan, 2019 to 2023
Product attributes Number of new products by year Total
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Yearly product launches 654 508 412 430 547 2,551
Top 10 claims
Vegetarian 611 483 384 405 532 2,415
Social Media 79 93 75 90 113 450
Ethical - Environmentally Friendly Product 48 38 83 92 111 372
No Additives/Preservatives 65 58 55 58 73 309
Free from Added/Artificial Preservatives 48 45 44 37 62 236
Premium 67 45 34 34 52 232
Ethical - Environmentally Friendly Package 39 25 44 34 79 221
Ethical - Recycling 32 20 41 33 69 195
Ethical - Human 42 14 59 27 50 192
Ethical - Sustainable (Habitat/Resources) 27 16 59 29 54 185
Top 10 companies
Mondelez 57 28 54 38 43 220
Nestlé 42 20 21 22 34 139
Perfetti Van Melle 38 20 21 12 20 111
Hershey 8 18 10 10 18 64
Mars International 16 5 12 14 14 61
ITC 19 3 1 6 18 47
Ferrero 12 4 5 11 14 46
Dugar Overseas 7 5 3 7 15 37
Karachi Bakery 4 4 7 5 5 25
Bliss Chocolates 7 16 0 0 1 24
Top 5 flavours (including blend)
Unflavoured/Plain 129 105 69 83 103 489
Flavours Unavailable 25 28 25 21 43 142
Orange/Sweet Orange 39 23 16 14 25 117
Almond 15 21 23 15 18 92
Strawberry 37 18 8 11 18 92
Top 5 ingredients
White Sugar (Food) 519 398 318 330 453 2,018
Emulsifiers 336 243 204 215 279 1,277
Glucose Syrup (Food) 248 164 161 177 180 930
Cocoa Powder (Food) 216 186 127 157 204 890
Cocoa Fat (Food) 227 201 152 144 155 879
Launch types
New Packaging 238 176 172 142 228 956
New Product 237 163 134 155 155 844
New Variety/Range Extension 128 139 84 112 142 605
Relaunch 47 29 21 21 22 140
New Formulation 4 1 1 0 0 6
Top 5 package types
Flexible 352 215 259 308 359 1,493
Carton 99 104 29 5 9 246
Flexible stand-up pouch 37 28 27 30 37 159
Tub 33 25 14 21 38 131
Tray 21 22 25 28 29 125
Location of manufacturer
Not Specified 445 364 298 269 353 1,729
India 120 102 90 148 151 611
Germany 13 9 6 2 3 33
Switzerland 11 4 1 0 9 25
Malaysia 9 4 5 2 2 22
Source: Mintel GNPD, 2024

New product examples

Sweet Chilli Guava Flavoured Candy
Company Reliance Retail
Manufacturer Kayempee Foods
Brand Joy Land
Category Sugar and gum confectionary
Sub-category Boiled sweets
Market India
Location of manufacture India
Date published December 2023
Launch type New variety / range extension
Price in US dollars 0.40
 

Reliance Joy Land Sweet Chilli Guava Flavoured Candy retails in a 154 gram pack with 44 3.5 g units. - Sugar boiled confectionery - Logos and certifications: Vegetarian green dot, FSSAI

Amaranth Chikki
Company Innovative Retail Concepts
Manufacturer Sirimiri Nutrition Food Products
Brand Indi Secrets
Category Sugar and gum confectionary
Sub-category Toffees, caramels and nougat
Market India
Location of manufacture India
Store name BigBasket
Store type Internet / mail order
Date published December 2023
Launch type New variety / range extension
Price in US dollars 0.68
 

Indi Secrets Amaranth Chikki retails in a 100 gram pack containing four 25 gram packets. - No added preservative or added colours - Made with delicious melt jaggery and dainty little amaranth seeds - Crunchy, sweet and wholesome - Logos and certifications: Vegetarian green dot, FSSAI, Clean India Proud Participant.

Paan & Mint Flavoured Candy
Manufacturer CandyVille Confections and Foods
Brand CandyVille Mint Mello
Category Sugar and gum confectionary
Sub-category Standard and power mints
Market India
Location of manufacture India
Store name Amazon.in
Store type Internet / mail order
Date published November 2023
Product source Shopper
Launch type New product
Price in US dollars 3.23
 

CandyVille Mint Mello Paan & Mint Flavoured Candy retails in a 340 gram pack of which 283 gram + 57 gram free. - Candy pack- 20% extra - Sugar boiled confectionery - Logos and certification: Vegetarian green dot, Fssai

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Resources

  • Euromonitor International:
    • Chocolate confectionary in India (October 2023)
    • Gum in India (October 2023)
    • Sugar confectionary in India (October 2023)
    • Retail in India (March 2023)
    • Snacks in India (October 2023)
  • Mintel Global New Products Database, 2024

Sector Trends Analysis – Confectionary trends in India
Global Analysis Report

Prepared by: Kris Clipsham, Market Analyst

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