FMCG Industry in India

The total revenue of the FMCG market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 27.9% from 2021 to 2027, reaching nearly US$ 615.87 billion.

Advantage India

Growing
Demand

* Indian food processing market size reached US$ 307.2 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach US$ 547.3 billion by 2028, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 9.5% during 2023-2028.

* Digital advertising will grow to reach US$ 9.92 billion by 2023, with the FMCG industry being the biggest contributor at 42% share of the total digital spend.

Attractive
Opportunities

* Entrepreneurs interested in setting up the food-related FMCG industry can set up their processing units in the government-designated agro-processing clusters, which helps cut down the plant setup costs.

* With the advent of online retail and e-commerce, FMCG businesses are able to market and sell their products across the country without investing much in marketing activities.

Policy
support

* Union Budget 2023-24 has allocated US$ 976 million for PLI schemes that aims to reduce import costs, improve the cost competitiveness of domestically produced goods, increase domestic capacity, and promote exports.

* Union budget 2023-24 focuses on reviving rural demand by boosting disposable income, allocation to farms and higher fund allocation on rural infrastructure, connectivity, and mobility to create long-term jobs.

Higher
Investments

* In January 2023, ITC announced plans to acquire 100% of Sproutlife Foods, a D2C startup and parent company of health food brand 'Yoga Bar' over a period of three to four years.

* In December 2022, Hindustan Unilever Limited announced its foray into the ‘Health & Wellbeing’ category through strategic investments in Zywie Ventures Private Limited (“OZiva”) and Nutritionalab Private Limited (“Wellbeing Nutrition”).

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Last updated: Feb, 2024

FMCG Industry in India Industry Report

Dec, 2023

Introduction

The FMCG sector in India expanded due to consumer-driven growth and higher product prices, especially for essential goods. FMCG sector provides employment to around 3 million people accounting for approximately 5% of the total factory employment in India. FMCG sales in the country was expected to grow 7-9% by revenues in 2022-23. The key growth drivers for the sector include favourable Government initiatives & policies, a growing rural market and youth population, new branded products, and growth of e-commerce platforms. Resilience needs to be the key factor in the manufacturing process, daily operations, retail and logistic channels, consumer insights and communication that will help FMCG companies to withstand the test of time and create more value for consumers in the long run. India’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector grew 7.5% by volumes in the April-June 2023 quarter, the highest in the last eight quarters, led by a revival in rural India and higher growth in modern trade.

Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector is India’s fourth-largest sector and has been expanding at a healthy rate over the years because of rising disposable income, a rising youth population, and rising brand awareness among consumers. With household and personal care accounting for 50% of FMCG sales in India, the industry is an important contributor to India’s GDP.

India is a country that no FMCG player can afford to ignore due to its middle-class population which is larger than the total population of USA. The Indian FMCG market continues to rise as more people start to move up the economic ladder and the benefits of economic progress become accessible to the public. More crucially, with a median age of just 27, India's population is becoming more consumerist due to rising ambitions. This has been further aided by government initiatives to increase financial inclusion and establish social safety nets.

Growing awareness, easier access and changing lifestyles have been the key growth drivers for the sector. The urban segment (accounts for a revenue share of around 65%) is the largest contributor to the overall revenue generated by the FMCG sector in India. However, in the last few years, the FMCG market has grown at a faster pace in rural India compared to urban India. Semi-urban and rural segments are growing at a rapid pace and FMCG products account for 50% of the total rural spending.

Market Size

FMCG market reached US$ 167 billion as of 2023. Total revenue of FMCG market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 27.9% through 2021-27, reaching nearly US$ 615.87 billion. In 2022, urban segment contributed 65% whereas rural India contributed more than 35% to the overall annual FMCG sales. Good harvest, government spending expected to aid rural demand recovery in FY24. The sector had grown 8.5% in revenues and 2.5% in volumes last fiscal year. In the January-June period of 2022, the sector witnessed value growth of about 8.4% on account of price hikes due to inflationary pressures. In Q2, 2022, the FMCG sector clocked a value growth of 10.9% Y-o-Y higher than the 6% Y-o-Y value growth seen in Q1.

Indian food processing market size reached US$ 307.2 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach US$ 547.3 billion by 2028, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 9.5% during 2023-2028.

The Union government approved a new PLI scheme for the food processing sector, with a budget outlay of Rs. 109 billion (US$ 1.46 billion). Incentives under the scheme will be disbursed for six years to 2026-27.

Digital advertising will grow to reach US$ 9.92 billion by 2023, with FMCG industry being the biggest contributor at 42% share of the total digital spend.

India includes 780 million internet users, where an average Indian person spends around 7.3 hours per day on their smartphone, one of the highest in the world. Number of active internet users in India will increase to 900 million by 2025 from 759 million in 2022. In 2021, India’s consumer spending was US$ 1,891.90 billion. Indian villages, which contribute more than 35% to overall annual FMCG sales, are crucial for overall revival of the sector. E-commerce now accounts for 17% of the overall FMCG consumption among evolved buyers, who are affluent and make average spends of about Rs. 5,620 (US$ 68).

The Indian e-commerce market is anticipated to grow from US$ 83 billion in 2022 to US$ 185 billion in 2026. By 2030, it is expected to have an annual gross merchandise value of US$ 350 billion. Fuelling e-commerce growth, India is expected to have over 907 million internet users by 2023, which accounts for ~64% of the total population of the country.

The market has grown exponentially over the past five years due to the surge in internet and smartphone users, improved policy reforms, and increase in disposable income. Mobile wallets, Internet banking, and debit/credit cards have become popular among customers for making transactions on e-commerce platforms. As of 2021, there were 1.2 million daily e-commerce transactions. The total value of digital transactions stood at US$ 300 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach US$ 1 trillion by 2026.

The India online grocery market size has been projected to grow from US$ 4,540 million in 2022 to US$ 76,761.0 million by 2032, at a CAGR of 32.7% through 2032.

The FMCG market in India is expected to increase at a CAGR of 14.9% to reach US$ 220 billion by 2025, from US$ 110 billion in 2020. The Indian FMCG industry grew by 16% in CY21 a 9- year high, despite nationwide lockdowns, supported by consumption-led growth and value expansion from higher product prices, particularly for staples. The Indian processed food market is projected to expand to US$ 470 billion by 2025, up from US$ 263 billion in 2019-20.

FMCG giants such as Johnson & Johnson, Himalaya, Hindustan Unilever, ITC, Lakmé and other companies (that have dominated the Indian market for decades) are now competing with D2C-focused start-ups such as Mamaearth, The Moms Co., Bey Bee, Azah, Nua and Pee Safe. Market giants such as Revlon and Lotus took ~20 years to reach the Rs. 100 crore (US$ 13.4 million) revenue mark, while new-age D2C brands such as Mamaearth and Sugar took four and eight years, respectively, to achieve that milestone.

Advertising volumes on television recorded healthy growth in the July-September quarter, registering 461 million seconds of advertising, which is the highest in 2021. FMCG continued to maintain its leadership position with 29% growth in ad volumes against the same period in 2019. Even the e-commerce sector showed a healthy 26% jump over 2020.

Investments

In October 2023, Unilever announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell Dollar Shave Club with completion expected before the end of 2023. Unilever will retain a minority shareholding of 35%.
In June 2023, Skincare brand VLCC acquires men's grooming brand Ustraa.
In May 2023, Reliance Retail Ventures completes acquisition of controlling stake in Lotus Chocolate.
In January 2023, ITC has announced plans to acquire 100% of Sproutlife Foods (SFPL), a direct-to-consumer (D2C) startup and parent company of health food brand 'Yoga Bar' over a period of three to four years.
In January 2023, ITC opened 59 acres food processing plant in Telangana, that will make in phases biscuits, chips, noodles as well as atta that ITC markets under its popular brands, including Sunfeast and Aashirvaad.
In December 2022, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) announced its foray into the ‘Health & Wellbeing’ category through strategic investments in Zywie Ventures Private Limited (“OZiva”) and Nutritionalab Private Limited (“Wellbeing Nutrition”).
In October 2022, Dabur India Limited acquired 51% stake in Badshah Masala Private Limited to expand its foods business to Rs. 500 Crore (US$ 60.3 million) in 3 years and expand into new adjacent categories.
In October 2022, Tata Consumer Products renovates and rebrands TATA Q as TATA Sampann Yumside with a new and larger range of Ready to Eat and Ready to Cook offerings.
The Government has allowed 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in food processing and single-brand retail and 51% in multi-brand retail.
This would bolster employment, supply chain and high visibility for FMCG brands across organised retail markets thereby bolstering consumer spending and encouraging more product launches.
From April 2000-September 2023, the food processing industry received US$ 12,354 million in FDI.

Some of the recent developments in the FMCG sector are as follows:

In July, 2023, GrowUp Farms, has launched Unbeleafable®, the first range of ready-to-eat salads grown in a vertical farm to be sold in a major UK supermarket after three products from the range were made available in selected Tesco stores.
In January 2023, Hindustan Unilever Limited and UNDP announced the launch of an “Inclusive Circular Economy” project focusing on end-to-end management of plastic waste by promoting the segregation of waste at source, collection of the segregated waste.
In November 2022, ITC collaborates with IIT Delhi to strengthen crop residue management programme in north India and to develop a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) tool to track, monitor and identify areas where stubble-burning is practised and where it is not.
FMCG ad volumes on television rose by 33% in the year 2021 when compared to 2019. The growth was 22% when compared to the year 2020. The top 10 advertisers on TV accounted for a 60% share of ad volumes in the year 2021 with HUL topping the list, followed by Reckitt Benckiser (India), and Brooke Bond Lipton India.
In December 2022, Hindustan Unilever Limited announced its foray into the ‘Health & Wellbeing’ category through strategic investments in Zywie Ventures Private Limited (“OZiva”) and Nutritionalab Private Limited (“Wellbeing Nutrition”).
In February 2023, women wellness brand Nutrizoe has introduced new flavours for its lactation-aiding bar Lactobites and nausea-inhibiting oral strips Nail the Nausea.
In January 2023, Heritage Foods Ltd, one of India’s leading dairy players, has announced the launch of GlucoShakti, a whey-based instant energy drink that revitalises hardworking youth, when strenuous physical work drains them.
In 2022, Britannia recently launched ragi cookies and five-grain digestive biscuits under its NutriChoice brand.
In 2023, BCS Globals, a UAE based food & beverage company, forays into the Indian energy drink market with the launch of one-of-its kind brand Wox and plans to introduce a diversified product portfolio.
In 2023, Inspired by Japanese beauty secrets, Keomi Beauty recently kick-started its journey in the Indian beauty and skincare space
In December 2022, Reliance Group launched its FMCG brand “Independence” in Gujarat which will bring a wide choice of high quality and affordable products including edible oils, pulses, grains, packaged foods, and other daily need products.
Amazon aims at making all shipments net-zero carbon, with 50% net zero carbon by 2030.
In 2021-22, Dabur India has become a complete plastic waste neutral firm in the country after collecting, processing, and recycling around 27,000 metric tonnes of post-consumer plastic waste.
In 2021-22, over 300 million FMCG bottles have been produced from Banyan's recycled plastic for clients that include Hindustan Unilever, Reckitt, Shell and HPCL.
In 2021, Colgate-Palmolive, the oral care giant has launched recyclable toothpaste tubes in India as a part of its commitment to sustainability.
In 2021, Myntra partnered with Better Cotton Initiative as a part of promoting sustainable cotton farming practices.
According to a joint report released by industry body FICCI and property consultancy firm Anarock, Indian e-commerce market is expected to reach US$ 120 billion by 2026 from US$ 38 billion in 2021
In October 2022, Dabur acquired 51% stake in Badshah Masala Private Limited for Rs. 587.52 crore, (US$ 71.81 million) less proportionate debt as on the closing date, with the Badshah enterprise being valued at Rs. 1,152 crore (US$ 140.81 million).
In July 2022, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mr. Yogi Adityanath, inaugurated HUL’s ultra-modern factory in Sumerpur with a total investment of Rs. 700 crore (US$ 88.07 million) planned by 2025.
In July 2022, Emami acquired 30% stake in Cannis Lupus to enter the petcare segment in India.
In July 2022, Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL), unveiled Godrej Magic Bodywash, India’s first ready-to mix bodywash at just Rs. 45 (US$ 0.57).
In June 2022, PepsiCo India announced its expansion plans for its largest greenfield foods manufacturing plant that produces the popular Lay’s potato chips in Kosi Kalan, Mathura in Uttar Pradesh with an investment of Rs. 186 crore (US$ 23.84 million).
In April 2022, Dabur India announced plans to induct a fleet of 100 Electric Vehicles in its supply chain for last-mile product distribution.
In March 2022, Emami acquired Dermicool from Reckitt for Rs. 432 crore (US$ 55.37 million)
In February 2022, Dabur India, formed an exclusive partnership with energy provider Indian Oil, which will give Dabur's products direct access to around 140 million Indane LPG consumer households across India.
In February 2022, Dabur India achieved its goal to collect, process, and recycle approximately 22,000 MT of post-consumer plastic three months early.
In February 2022, Marico Ltd announced aim to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040 in its global operations.
In November 2021, Tata Consumer Products (TCPL) signed definitive agreements to acquire 100% equity shares of Tata SmartFoodz Limited (TSFL) from Tata Industries Limited for a cash consideration of Rs. 395 crore (US$ 53.13 million). This move was in line with TCPL’s strategic intent to expand into value-added categories.
In November 2021, Unilever Plc agreed to sell its global tea business to CVC Capital Partners for EUR 4.5 billion (US$ 5.1 billion. The business being sold—Ekaterra—hosts a portfolio of 34 tea brands including Lipton, PG Tips, Pukka Herbs and TAZO.
In November 2021, McDonald’s India partnered with an FMCG company ITC to add a differentiated fruit beverage, B Natural, to its Happy Meal, which will be available across all McDonald’s restaurants in South and West India, primarily catering to children aged 3–12 years.
In October 2021, Procter & Gamble announced an investment of Rs. 500 crore (US$ 66.8 million) in rural India.
In September 2021, Vahdam India, an Indian tea brand, raised Rs. 174 crore (US$ 24 million) as part of its Series D round led by IIFL AMC’s Private Equity Fund.
In September 2021, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group entered the personal-care segment by launching skin and haircare products, aiming at a revenue of Rs. 400-500 crore (US$ 53.84-67.30 million) in the next 4-5 years.
In September 2021, Adani Wilmar announced the opening of physical stores under the name ‘Fortune Mart’ that will exclusively sell Fortune and other Adani Wilmar brand products.
The rural market registered an increase of 14.6% in the same quarter and metro markets recorded growth after two quarters. Final consumption expenditure increased at a CAGR of 5.2% during 2015-20.
According to Fitch Solutions, real household spending is projected to increase 9.1% YoY in 2021, after contracting >9.3% in 2020 due to the economic impact of the pandemic.
The FMCG sector's revenue growth will double from 5-6% in FY21 to 10-12% in FY22, according to CRISIL Ratings.

Government Initiatives

Some of the major initiatives taken by the Government to promote the FMCG sector in India are as follows:

The Union Budget 2023–2024 offers incentives for advances in food infrastructure research & development, and innovation, which is extremely encouraging for the FMCG sector’s modest growth.
The Union government approved a new PLI scheme for the food processing sector, with a budget outlay of Rs. 109 billion (US$ 1.46 billion). Incentives under the scheme will be disbursed for six years to 2026-27.
The government's initiative to promote millets for its health benefits would increase the consumption and production of the millets in the nation. To support this, the government declared that the Indian Institute of Millet Research in Hyderabad will become a worldwide centre of excellence for the exchange of best practices, knowledge, and innovations.
In 2022, Government announced that the food processing industry has invested Rs. 4,900 crore (US$ 593 million) so far under the PLI scheme, which was approved in March 2021, with a budget outlay of Rs. 10,900 crore (US$ 1.3 billion), likely to increase sales and exports of food products.
A total of 182 applications have been approved under the PLI scheme for the food processing industry. This includes 30 applications for millets-based products under the PLI scheme (8 large entities and 22 SMEs)
In 2022, a total of 112 food processing projects were completed and operationalized, leveraging the private investment of Rs. 706.04 crore (US$ 85.4 million) and generating direct and indirect employment for 25,293 people.
To boost the food processing sector, the Centre has permitted under the Income Tax Act a deduction of 100% of profit for five years and 25% of profit in the next five years in case of new agro-processing industries set up to package and preserve fruits and vegetables.
Excise Duty of 16% on dairy machinery has been fully waived off and excise duty on meat, poultry and fish products has been reduced from 16% to 8%.
An amount of Rs. 1,000 crore (US$ 120.7 million) is being set up initially in NITI Aayog for SETU for setting up of incubation centres and enhance skill development to facilitate the startup ecosystem in the country while improving the ease of doing business.
The governments’ incentives and the FDI funds have helped the FMCG sector strengthen employment, establish a more robust supply chain, and capture high visibility for FMCG brands across established retail markets.
Union Budget 2023-24 has allocated US$ 976 million for PLI schemes that aims to reduce import costs, improve the cost competitiveness of domestically produced goods, increase domestic capacity, and promote exports.
As per the Union Budget 2022-23:
- Rs. 1,725 crore (US$ 222.19 million) has been allocated to the Department of Consumer Affairs
- Rs. 215,960 crore (US$ 27.82 billion) has been allocated to the Department of Food and Public Distribution.
- In 2021-22, the government approved Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) with an outlay of Rs. 10,900 crore (US$ 1.4 billion) to help Indian brands of food products in the international markets.
The government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme gives companies a major opportunity to boost exports with an outlay of US$ 1.42 billion.
In November 2021, Flipkart signed an MoU with the Ministry of Rural Development of the Government of India (MoRD) for their ambitious Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) programme to empower local businesses and self-help groups (SHGs) by bringing them into the e-commerce fold.
Companies are counting on recent budget announcements like the direct transfer of 2.37 lakh crore (US$ 30.93 billion) in minimum support payment (MSP) to wheat and paddy farmers and the integration of 150,000 post offices into the core banking system to expand their reach in rural India.
The Government of India has approved 100% FDI in the cash and carry segment and in single-brand retail along with 51% FDI in multi-brand retail.
The Government has drafted a new Consumer Protection Bill with special emphasis on setting up an extensive mechanism to ensure simple, speedy, accessible, affordable, and timely delivery of justice to consumers.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is beneficial for the FMCG industry as many of the FMCG products such as soap, toothpaste and hair oil now come under the 18% tax bracket against the previous rate of 23-24%. Also, GST on food products and hygiene products has been reduced to 0-5% and 12-18% respectively.
GST is expected to transform logistics in the FMCG sector into a modern and efficient model as all major corporations are remodelling their operations into larger logistics and warehousing.

Road Ahead

Rural consumption has increased, led by a combination of increasing income and higher aspiration levels. There is an increased demand for branded products in rural India. On the other hand, with the share of the unorganised market in the FMCG sector falling, the organised sector growth is expected to rise with an increased level of brand consciousness, augmented by the growth in modern retail. Another major factor propelling the demand for food services in India is the growing youth population, primarily in urban regions. India has a large base of young consumers who form most of the workforce, and due to time constraints, barely get time for cooking. Online portals are expected to play a key role for companies trying to enter the hinterlands. The Internet has contributed in a big way, facilitating a cheaper and more convenient mode to increase a company’s reach. The number of internet users in India is likely to reach 1 billion by 2025. It is estimated that 40% of all FMCG consumption in India will be made online by 2020. E-commerce share of total FMCG sales is expected to increase by 11% by 2030. It is estimated that India will gain US$ 15 billion a year by implementing GST. GST and demonetisation are expected to drive demand, both in the rural and urban areas and economic growth in a structured manner in the long term and improved the performance of companies within the sector.