Given the natural supply advantage and a population of 1.3 billion people, there is a natural potential for Indian food companies, food retail and related supply chain organizations to grow. Here is a tentative list of top 20 Indian food companies.

Food processing is considered one of the fastest-growing industries in India. The availability of a large raw material production base supports the growth of the Indian food industry. India is the largest producer of milk, bananas, mangoes, guavas, papaya, ginger, and okra, the second-largest producer of wheat, rice, fruits, vegetables, tea, sugarcane and cashew nut and the third-largest producer of cereals, coconut, lettuce, chicory, nutmeg, mace, cardamom and pepper globally.

In this article we will take a look at the Top 20 Indian Food companies in 2024.

Given the natural supply advantage and a population of 1.3 billion people who spend a high proportion of their disposable income on food products. There is a potential to nurture mutually beneficial relationships with global food processing, food retail and related supply chain organizations that could realize significant business growth opportunities in India through new technologies, innovations and other methods of value additions.

Further, India’s geographical location gives it a unique advantage in exports, having convenient connectivity to Europe, the Middle East, & Africa from the western coast, and Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Australia & New Zealand from the eastern coast. In light of the above factors, and with total consumption of the food and beverage segment in India expected to increase from US$ 369 billion to US$1.142 trillion by 2025, the output of the food processing sector (at market prices) is expected to increase to US$ 958 billion for the same period. These estimates evidence the vast market opportunity offered by the Indian food processing, food retail, transport, logistics and related infrastructure sectors to players in the food processing value chain.

Here is a list of top 20 Indian food companies… all players are highly-reputed as industry leaders.


1. Hindustan Unilever

Unilever Indian Food & Beverage Companies

Market Cap: R 5,61,859.68 Crores INR
CEO: Sanjiv Mehta (10 Oct 2013–)
Founded: 17 October 1933
Subsidiaries: Lakmé Cosmetics, Kwality Wall’s
Founders: Hindustan Vanaspati Mfg. Co. Ltd., Lever Brothers, United Traders Ltd.
Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Website: https://www.hul.co.in/

Incorporated in 1931, Unilever set up its first Indian subsidiary, Hindustan Vanaspati Manufacturing Company, followed by Lever Brothers India Limited (1933) and United Traders Limited (1935). These three companies merged to form HUL in November 1956. The company was renamed in June 2007 as Hindustan Unilever Limited.

The subsidiary of the British-Dutch company Unilever, Hindustan Unilever Limited, based in Mumbai, produces a lot of products, including food and beverages.

With 44 brands spanning 14 distinct categories, such as soaps, detergents, shampoos, skincare, toothpaste, deodorants, cosmetics, tea, coffee, packaged foods, ice cream, and water purifiers, the company is a part of the everyday life of millions of consumers across India. Its portfolio includes leading household brands such as Brooke Bond, Bru, Knorr, Kissan, Kwality Wall’s, Lux, Lifebuoy, Surf Excel, Rin, Wheel, Glow & Lovely, Pond’s, Vaseline, Lakmé, Dove, Clinic Plus, Sunsilk, Pepsodent, Closeup, Axe and Pureit.


2. ITC

ITC

Market Cap: 2,77,316.39 Crores INR
Incorporated: 1910
Chairman: Sanjiv Puri
Managing Director: Sanjiv Puri
Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal
Website: www.itcportal.com

Established in 1910 as the Imperial Tobacco Company of India Limited, the company was renamed as the India Tobacco Company Limited in 1970 and later to ITC Limited in 1974.

In 1990, leveraging its agri-sourcing competency, ITC set up the Agri Business Division for the export of agri-commodities. ITC’s foray into the food business began in August 2001 with the introduction of ‘Kitchens of India’ ready-to-eat Indian gourmet dishes. In 2002, ITC entered the confectionery and staples segments with the launch of the brands Mint-o and Candyman confectionery and Aashirvaad Atta (wheat flour). 2003 witnessed the introduction of Sunfeast as the Company entered the biscuits segment. ITC entered the fast-growing branded snacks category with Bingo! in 2007. In 2010, ITC launched Sunfeast Yippee! to enter the Indian instant noodles market. In September 2014, ITC launched GumOn Chewing Gum, marking the entry into the category of gums.

The Company entered the Fruit-based juices and beverages market with the launch of B Natural Fruit beverages in January 2015. ITC’s foray into the dairy segment with the launch of Aashirvaad Svasti Ghee in November 2015. Launched in April 2016, Fabelle chocolates are ITC’s premier offering in the luxury chocolate space. ITC forayed into the branded coffee category in July 2016 with the launch of Sunbean Gourmet Coffee.

In February 2017, ITC launched ITC MasterChef, offering export-quality spices to the Indian homemaker. ITC MasterChef Prawns were launched in June 2017 as the Company entered the Frozen foods segment. ITC’s first foray into the fresh fruits and vegetables segment was marked with the launch of Farmland Potatoes in November 2017. In 2018, ITC forayed into the packaged milk segment with the launch of Aashirvaad Svasti pouch milk and into dairy-based beverages with the Sunfeast Wonderz range of milkshakes.


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3. Nestle

Nestle top Indian Food & Beverage Companies

Market Cap: 1,92,618.35 Crores INR
Incorporated: 1959
Chairman: Suresh Narayanan
Managing Director: Suresh Narayanan
Headquarters: Gurgaon, Haryana
Website: www.nestle.in

Originally incorporated in 1886 by Henri Nestle in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé is the largest food-producing company in the world as well as in India. With leading products like Maggi, KitKat, Milky Bar, Polo, Nescafe, and many more, Nestlé’s annual sales are more than US $ 1.1 billion. It has a wide range of products in baby food, breakfast cereals, coffee and tea, an assortment in confectionaries and many more. It is having a total of 8 manufacturing facilities and 4 branch offices (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata) in India.

Nestle came to India when it set up its first factory in Moga, Punjab, in 1961. Presently, it has four offices and around eight manufacturing facilities across India. Nestlé has been a partner in India’s growth for over nine decades now and has built a very special relationship of trust and commitment with the people of India.

Core Business and Products: Milk Products, beverages, cooking oil etc. Popular Brands are Nescafé, Maggi, Milkybar, Kit Kat, Bar-One, Milkmaid and Nestea. In recent years, the company has also introduced products of daily consumption and use, such as Nestlé Milk, Nestlé Slim Milk, Nestlé Dahi and Nestlé Jeera Raita.


4. Britannia Industries

Britannia best Indian Food & Beverage Companies

Market Cap: 84,442.40 Crores 
Incorporated: 1918
Chairman: Nusli N Wadia
Managing Director: Varun Berry
Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal
Website: www.britannia.co.in

The 126 years old company, Britannia Industries Limited specializes in the manufacturing and selling of biscuits, bread, cakes, and dairy products.

The company was started in the year 1892 in Calcutta (now Kolkata) as a biscuit factory with an initial investment of just Rs 295 (US$ 4.76). From a humble beginning, Britannia Industries Ltd is presently one of India’s most popular food industries. The company’s offerings are spread across the spectrum, with products ranging from the healthy and economical Tiger biscuits to the more lifestyle-oriented Milkman Cheese.

Having succeeded in garnering the trust of almost one-third of India’s one billion population and a strong management at the helm, Britannia continues to dream big on its path of innovation and quality.

Core Business and Products: Bakery products, including biscuits, bread, cakes and rusk, and dairy products, including milk, butter, cheese, ghee and dahi. Brand Names are GoodDay, 50-50, Milk Bikis, Nutri Choice, Little Hearts, Jim Jam, Cheese, and many more.


5. Godrej Consumer Products

Godrej Consumer Products

Market Cap: 99,021.64 Crores INR
Incorporated: 2000
Chairman: Nisaba Godrej
Managing Director: Nisaba Godrej
Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Website: www.godrejcp.com

Godrej Consumer Products is one of the emerging food processing companies in India with three main areas of focus such as branded teas, processed foods and confectionery. As part of the over 123-year young Godrej Group, GBF has been promoted by the Godrej group, a leading Indian business group and A Mahendran, a well-known FMCG industry expert. GBF has a portfolio of brands including fruit beverages (‘Jumpin’, ‘Xs’,), Soya products (‘Sofit’), Edible oil (‘Cooklite’, ‘Sunshakti’) and confectionery (‘Mahalacto’, ‘Gulkand’, ‘Nutrine Eclairs’, ‘Kokonaka’,‘Aasay,’ etc.). One of the sub-brands of this company is also the very famous brand of Hershey’s.

The company has manufacturing facilities at Malanpur in Madhya Pradesh, Guwahati in Assam, and Namchi in Sikkim. The company has established a strong international presence through a slew of acquisitions over the years. GCPL is the leader in serving the hair care needs of women of African descent, the number one player in hair colour in India and Sub-Saharan Africa, and among the leading players in Latin America.


6. TATA Consumer Products

tata consumer products

Market Cap: 74,599.61 Crores INR
Incorporated: 1962
Chairman: N Chandrasekaran
Managing Director: Sunil A D’Souza
Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal
Website: www.tataglobalbeverages.com/

Tata Consumer Products is a focused consumer products company uniting the food and beverage interests of the Tata Group under one umbrella. It is home to key brands such as Tata Tea, Tetley, Tata Salt and Tata Sampann. With a combined reach of over 200 million households in India, it has an unparalleled ability to leverage the Tata brand in consumer products.

In the Beverages business, Tata Consumer Products is the 2nd largest player in branded tea in the world, with over 330 million servings everyday across the world. Its brands include Tata Tea, Tetley, Vitax, Eight O’Clock Coffee, Himalayan Natural Mineral Water, Tata Coffee Grand and Joekels.

The Company has a joint venture with Starbucks called Tata Starbucks Limited to own and operate Starbucks cafés in India. Since the inauguration of the flagship store in Mumbai in October 2012, this 50:50 JV has expanded to 11 cities, with many more Starbucks stores planned across the country. The Company’s subsidiary, NourishCo, produces non-carbonated ready-to-drink beverages that focus on health and enhanced wellness. NourishCo produces and markets Tata Water Plus — India’s first nutrient water, and Tata Gluco Plus — an energizing, glucose-based flavoured drink. Himalayan water is also marketed and distributed through NourishCo.


7. Marico Limited

Marico Indian Food & Beverage Companies

Market Cap: 65,178.53 Crores INR
Incorporated: 1988
Founder: Harsh Mariwala
CEO: Saugata Gupta (Apr 2013–)
Founded: 2 April 1990, Mumbai
Headquarters: Mumbai
Subsidiary: Kaya Limited
Website: https://marico.com/

With its headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Marico is present in over 25 countries across Asia and Africa. In 2019-20, the company generated a turnover of INR 73.1 billion (USD 1.03 billion) through its products sold in India and chosen markets in Asia and Africa.

Marico touches the lives of 1 out of every 3 Indians through its portfolio of brands such as Parachute, Saffola, Saffola FITTIFY Gourmet, Coco Soul, Parachute Advansed, Hair & Care, Nihar Naturals, Livon, Set Wet, Set Wet Studio X, Veggie Clean, Kaya Youth, Travel Protect, House Protect, Mediker, Revive and Beardo.

Marico has 8 factories in India located at Pondicherry, Perundurai, Jalgaon, Guwahati, Baddi, Paonta Sahib and Sanand. The international consumer products portfolio contributes to about 23% of the Group’s revenue, with brands like Parachute, Saffola, Parachute Advansed, Mediker SafeLife, Just For Baby, HairCode, Fiancée, Caivil, Hercules, Black Chic, Code 10, Ingwe, X-Men, Sedure, Thuan Phat and Isoplus.

8. Glaxosmithkline Consumer Healthcare

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare

Market Cap: 45,141.53 Crores INR
Incorporated: 1958
Headquarter: Gurgaon, Haryana
Chairman: P Dwarakanath
Managing Director: Navneet Saluja
Website: https://india-consumer.gsk.com/

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Ltd.(GSKCH) manufactures healthy snacks and pharmaceutical products. GSK is a healthcare company born out of the merger of two international organizations: GlaxoWellcome and SmithKline Beecham. GSK Consumer Healthcare Ltd and GSK Pharmaceuticals Ltd are the two businesses of GSK in India. GSKCH’s products include health food drinks under the brand names Horlicks, Boost, Maltova and Viva. The company was incorporated in 1958 and is based in Haryana.

Recently, Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has completed the merger of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Limited (GSKCH) with itself, over a year after the Rs31,700 crore mega-deal was first announced. GSKCH’s brands, such as Horlicks, Boost, and Maltova will now be part of the company’s food and refreshments business, falling under the nutrition category.

Core Business and Products: The core Business is Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology, with over 14,000 involved in R & D. Popular Brands are Horlicks, Boost, Maltova, Viva and Crocin.


9. Jubilant FoodWorks

Jubilant FoodWorks

Market Cap: 49,433.62 Crores INR
Incorporated: 1995
Chairman: Shyam S Bhartia
Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh
Websites: www.jubilantfoodworks.com / www.dominos.co.in / www.dunkinindia.com

Jubilant FoodWorks Limited is an Indian food service company based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, which holds the master franchise for Domino’s Pizza in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, for Popeyes in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, and also for Dunkin’ Donuts in India.

It is part of the Jubilant Bhartia Group and is one of the India’s largest food service Company. The Company holds the master franchise rights for two international brands, Domino’s Pizza and Dunkin’ Donuts, addressing two different food market segments. The Company also launched its first homegrown brand – Hong’s Kitchen, in the Chinese cuisine segment.

The Company currently operates more than 1260 outlets for Domino’s Pizza, Dunkin’ Donuts and Hong’s Kitchen and is a market leader in the pizza segment. The Company has more than 30,000 brand ambassadors committed to delivering value to its customers.


10. Varun Beverages

Varun Beverages

Market Cap: 38,275.79 Crores INR
Headquarters: Gurgaon, Haryana
CEO: Kapil Agarwal
Founded: 16 June 1995
Parent organization: RJ Corp Limited
Subsidiaries: Varun Beverages Morocco
Website: https://varunpepsi.com/

Varun Beverages Limited (VBL) is an Indian company that manufactures, bottles and distributes beverages. It is the second largest bottling company of PepsiCo’s beverages in the world outside the United States. The company was incorporated in 1995 as a subsidiary of RJ Corp, and named after founder Ravi Jaipuria’s son.

The company produces and distributes a wide range of carbonated soft drinks (CSDs), as well as a large selection of non-carbonated beverages (NCBs), including packaged drinking water. PepsiCo CSD brands sold by us include Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Seven-Up, Mirinda Orange, Mirinda Lemon, Mountain Dew, Seven-Up Nimbooz Masala Soda, Evervess Soda, Duke’s Soda and Sting.

PepsiCo NCB brands sold by the company include Tropicana (100%, Essentials & Delight), Tropicana Slice, Tropicana Frutz, Seven-Up Nimbooz, Gatorade and Quaker Oat Milk as well as packaged drinking water under the brand Aquafina. In addition, it has also been granted the franchise for the Ole brand of PepsiCo products in Sri Lanka. VBL has 30 manufacturing plants in India and 6 manufacturing plants in international geographies (two in Nepal and one each in Sri Lanka, Morocco, Zambia and Zimbabwe).


11. Hatsun Agro Products

Hatsun Agro Products

Market Cap: Rs 20,959.22 Crores INR
Incorporated: 1986
CEO: K S Thanarajan
Headquarter: Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Website: www.hatsun.com

Hatsun, often called Hatsun Agro Products (HAP), is a dairy company in India based in Chennai. It was founded by Ganesan father of R. G. Chandramogan, in 1970. Hatsun Argo manufactures products catering to both cooking and consumption like, milk, milk powder, ghee, paneer, etc. The company also exports its products to 38 countries around the globe, primarily America, the Middle East, and the South Asian markets. It has an annual income of around 384 crores, making it an important source of the country’s economy.

The company sells its products under the brands viz. Arun Icecreams, Arokya Milk, Hatsun Curd, Hatsun Paneer, Hatsun Ghee, Hatsun Dairy Whitener and IBACO. Arun Icecreams offers Arun Icecreams iCone, Arun Icecreams iBar and Kid’s Bars. IBACO offers Ice Cream Cakes and Signature Cones.

Presently, Hatsun has chilling centres in more than 68 locations, over 1,348 contract vehicles, milk sheds spread over 10 districts in Tamil Nadu, three districts in Karnataka, and over 300,000 milk producers. The company’s foray into the international markets began in 2004-05, with Arun Icecreams entering the markets in Seychelles and Brunei.

Core Business and Products: Dairy Products are their core business. Popular brands are Arokya, HATSUN, Arum Icecream, ibaco.


12. KRBL

KRBL

Market Cap: 6,188.40 Crores INR
Incorporated: 1889
CMD: Anil Kumar Mittal
Headquarter: New Delhi, India
Website: www.krblrice.com

Established in 1889 and founded by Kushi Ram and Behari Lal at Lyallpur. KRBL is now the world’s leading basmati rice producer and has fully integrated operations in every aspect of the basmati value chain, right from seed development contact farming procurement of paddy storage processing, packaging, branding and marketing. `India Gate’ is KRBL’s flagship brand both in domestic and international markets.

KRBL was founded in 1889 at Lyallpur in Faisalabad, Pakistan. In its earliest incarnation, KRBL owned 10 cotton spinning mills, 2 rice mills, 16 commission agencies in 18 cities and even a bank. In 1947, following the partition of India, KRBL reestablished itself and relocated its operations to Naya Bazar (Lahori Gate) in New Delhi.

The Company’s operating segments include Agri, which includes agricultural commodities, such as rice, Furfural, seed, bran and bran oil, among others, and Energy, which includes power generation from wind turbines, husk-based power plants and solar power plants. It exports its products to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar.

Core Business and Products: Rice production is a core business of the company. Some of the popular brands are India Gate Basmati Rice, Doon, Nur Jahan, Unity, Taj Mahal Tilla, Shubh Mangal, and Kohinoor Basmati Rice.


13. Parle Agro

Parle Agro

Market Cap: 2,800 Crores INR
Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
CEO: Schauna Chauhan (2006–)
Founded: 1984
Website: www.parleagro.com

Parle Agro, headquartered in Mumbai, was founded in 1984. The original Parle company was started in the year 1929 and was owned by the Chauhan family. Parle became popular with the release of its products, such as Frooti and Parle-G.

In the recent past, Parle has aggressively grown their infrastructure to 76 manufacturing facilities, both in India and overseas, and has developed a widespread network of 3,500 distributors that cater to more than 600,000 outlets in the country. It also has a strong presence in about 44 countries.

They are now known as much for their diversification into the foods sector as for their leadership in the beverages sector. Parle operates under four business verticals: Beverages (fruit drinks, nectars, sparkling drinks and carbonated soft drinks), Packaged Drinking Water, Foods, and pet preforms. Each of these verticals operates as an independent entity.


14. LT Foods

LT Foods

Market Cap: 1,679.19 Crores INR
Incorporated: 1978
President: Ashok Kumar Arora
Headquarter: Gurgaon, Haryana
Website: www.ltoverseas.com

In the year 1978, Mr. Vijay Kumar Arora began a small company in the village of Amritsar. Today, LT Foods is the leading processor of rice and other speciality foods in India. LT Foods employs around 900 employees in India and abroad. The company’s flagship brand ‘Dawaat’ launched in the 1980’s, is now recognized as the leading brand in the industry.

In the year 1993, the company started their operations using certain processing facilities of Lal Chand Tirath Ram Rice Mills (LCTRRM), an associate concern, on lease. In the year 1993, they got their registration as a manufacturer exporter from APEDA. In May 1994, the company was converted into a public limited company and the name was changed to LT Overseas Ltd.

The Company is engaged in milling, processing and marketing of branded and non-branded basmati rice and manufacturing of rice food products in the domestic and overseas market. Its geographical segments include India, North America and the Rest of the world. For backend support, the company has set up a flour mill in Bhopal with an expandable capacity of 300 tons a month. It has also set up a re-packaging center (RPC) in Maharastra.

The company, together with their subsidiary companies, is embarking on new food products like Fast Cooking Brown Rice, Rice Cakes, Rice Chips and several rice-based snacks. The flagship brand is Dawaat, Rozana Gold Basmati Rice, Chefz Secretz etc.


15. Mondelez India

Mondelez India

Market Cap: 1,528.19 Crores INR
President: Deepak Iyer
Incorporated: Founded in 1824 in UK, Came to India in 1948
Headquarters: Mumbai, India
Website: www.mondelezindiafoods.com

Mondelez India Foods Private Limited (formerly Cadbury India Ltd.) is a part of Mondelez International, a world leader in biscuits, chocolate, gum, candy and powdered beverages. Cadbury India operates in five categories – Chocolate confectionery, Beverages, Biscuits, Gum and Candy. In the Chocolate Confectionery business, Cadbury has maintained its undisputed leadership over the years. Some of the key brands are Cadbury Dairy Milk, Bournvita, 5 Star, Perk, Bournville, Celebrations, Gems, Halls, Éclairs, Bubbaloo, Tang and Oreo.

In India, Cadbury began its operations in 1948 by importing chocolates. After over 60 years of existence, it today has six company-owned manufacturing facilities at Thane, Induri (Pune) and Malanpur (Gwalior), Bangalore and Baddi (Himachal Pradesh), Hyderabad and 4 sales offices (New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai). The corporate office is in Mumbai. Cadbury India enjoys a value market share of over 70 percent in the chocolate category, and our brand Cadbury Dairy Milk (CDM) is considered the “gold standard” for chocolates in India. The pure taste of CDM defines the chocolate taste for the Indian consumer.


16. Heritage Foods

Heritage Foods

Market Cap: 1,347.86 Crores INR
Incorporated: 1992
President: M Sambasiva Rao
Headquarter: Hyderabad, AP
Website: www.heritagefoods.co.in

Founded in 1992 by Nara Chandra Babu Naidu, Heritage Foods is one of the largest dairy enterprises in the sub-continent. It operates 16 own processing plants and 2 leased processing plants with installed milk processing capacity of 2.09 million lpd through own plants and 0.15 mn lpd through its leased plants. The company operates with five business divisions, namely, Dairy, Retail, Agri, Bakery and Renewable Energy, under its flagship Company, Heritage Foods Ltd.

Presently, Heritage’s milk products have a market presence in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Odisha and Delhi and it has retail stores across Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad. Integrated agri operations are in Chittoor and Medak Districts, and these are the backbone of retail operations and the state-of-the-art bakery division at Uppal, Hyderabad and Telangana.

Core Business and Products: Milk Products like Ice Cream, Beverages, etc. Brands are under Heritage Name.


17. Rasna International

Rasna International

Market Cap: Rs 1000-1200 Crores INR
Incorporated: 1993
Headquarter: Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Parent Organisation: Pioma Industries
President: Piruz Khambatta
Website: www.rasnainternational.com

Established in year 1993, Rasna International, is India’s number one beverage exporting company. Initially set up by Phirojshaw Khambatta as a B2B entity, the company that made Jaffe for B2C renamed the brand as Rasna in 1976. Today, it enjoys an 80 percent market share in the soft drink concentrate market.

The company’s line of business includes the manufacturing of flavoring extracts, syrups, powders, and related products for the manufacturing of soft drinks. The company is the largest manufacturer of instant powder drinks in India. It holds 96% of market share in this category. To cater to its domestic and international clients the company operates 9 manufacturing plants spread across India,

Core Business and Products: The core business of the company is beverage. Popular Brand Names are FruitPlus, Squash, Glucon D, Rasna.

18. Mother Dairy

Mother Dairy

Market Cap: 700 Crores INR
Incorporated: 1974
Headquarter: Delhi (NCR), India
CMD: Sangram Chaudhary
Website: www.motherdairy.com

Mother Dairy was commissioned in 1974 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). It was an initiative under Operation Flood, the world’s biggest dairy development program launched to make India a milk sufficient nation. The company originally focused on Delhi and other parts of the National Capital Region (NCR). It later expanded to other regions in India. Today, Mother Dairy manufactures, market and sells milk and milk products, including cultured products, ice creams, paneer and ghee, under “Mother Dairy” brand.

Products in the fresh dairy range include Kheer, Bottled Lassi, Mishti Doi, Tadka Chach etc. In the frozen category, Kulfi in various traditional falvours is available. ‘Dietz Sugar Free’ ice creams are the most recent product range.

Safal, F&V arm of Mother Dairy, was the first Company to organize the fruits and vegetables business in India. Safal was also the first brand in India to launch frozen vegetables in the mid 90s. Mother Dairy is also present in the edible oils segment under the brand name Dhara, which was launched under the ‘Operation Golden Flow’ program of NDDB as a market intervention program to address a larger cause of the Indian farmers & consumers.

Core Business and Products: The company sells milk and milk products under the “Mother Dairy” brand, other brands are Safal and Dhara.

19. Vadilal Industries

Vadilal Ice Cream

Market Cap: 450 crores INR
Incorporated: 1907
Headquarter: Ahmadabad, Gujarat
CEO: Devanshu L Gandhi
Website: www.vadilalgroup.com

Founded in 1907 by the Ghandi Family in Ahmadabad is a conglomerate. It is India’s second largest ice cream player after Amul and exports large shares of frozen vegetables and instant snacks, curries, and bread. Having 150 plus flavors of ice creams, Vadilal amounts to a gross amount of 4.5 billion per year. The export of its processed food to regions like the USA and Western Europe is proving to strengthen its ties with the Western countries in terms of business and socio-economic relations.

The Company’s segments include Ice Cream, Processed Foods and Others. The Company, through the Ice Cream segment, offers ice cream and frozen desserts. Through the Processed Food segment, it offers mango pulp, frozen fruit, pulp, vegetables and ready-to-eat/serve food. Through the other segments, it is engaged in forex management, money changing and cold storage. The Company has two ice-cream production facilities: one at Pundhra in Gandhinagar, Gujarat and the other at Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh.

The Company is involved in processing frozen fruits, vegetables and processed foods at a factory situated at Dharampur, Valsad, Gujarat. It also operates in the milk segment under the brand name Power Sip. It offers Power Sip in a range of flavors, such as kesar, elaichi, rose and badam.

Core Business and Products: Ice Cream and Processed Food. Ice cream brand is Vadilal Ice Creams, Kulfi, 3 Scoops.


20. MTR Foods

MTR Foods

Market Cap: 900 Crores INR
Incorporated: 1924
Headquarter: Bangalore, Karnataka
Parent organization: Orkla ASA
CEO: Sanjay Sharma
Website: www.mtrfoods.com

Started in 1924 with the establishment of the Mavalli Tiffin Rooms or MTR restaurant. Tiffin is a word traced to colonial rule in India and refers to a light meal or lunch. Tiffin is a word traced to colonial rule in India and refers to a light meal or lunch.

Through the decades, MTR Foods has expanded its business by producing a wide range of ready-to-eat curries, ready-to-eat gravies, frozen food, ice cream, instant mixes, spices and a variety of pickles and papads, and milk beverages drinks. With its partnership with Norwegian conglomerate Orkla, MTR Foods grossed a total of U.S. $ 8.9 million in 2017, thus making it a very strong competition in the Indian food industry. Post this joint venture (JV), MTR Foods has taken major steps to revitalise its brand appeal and establish its presence in the homes of modern consumers across India.

Its products include a variety of vegetarian snack foods and chips, ready-to-eat meals, and partially pre-cooked meals, emphasizing the cuisine of southern India. Other products include pickles, vermicelli, and over 30 varieties of ice cream and ice cream cones.

Core Business and Products: Some of the products are Snacks, Masala Powder, Sweet Mixes, Vermicelli, Pickles, Soups, Papad etc. Popular Brands are MTR Snack Up, MTR Sambar Powder, MTR Gulab Jamun Mix etc.

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Note: Most information has been sourced from company websites. This list of Top 20 Indian Food Companies, is neither exhaustive nor ranked according to the order of importance.  Sales figure data is mentioned only for those companies for which information is available in the public domain. Photo by Kamalakannan PM from Pixabay

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