Consumers are seeking taste-forward healthy products : Marico ‘s Chief R&D Officer Shilpa Vora

Businesssline caught up with Dr Shilpa Vora, Chief R&D Officer at Marico to know more about how companies are navigating fast-changing consumption trends in post-Covid days. Vora pointed out that globally there has been a massive shift towards healthier food and lifestyle. She said consumers are increasingly seeking convenient options such as ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat options that are healthier but can also be customised as per their needs.

Looking at prominent trends that are expected to gain ground in 2024, she said companies are expected to inculcate millets into their products not just in India but across the world. “ As consumers seek more healthy food options, taste remains non-negotiable. We will also see more experimentation in terms of flavours. More and more international flavours are expected to be added to the India repertoire,” Vora explained.

On Marico’s R&D strategy, she said that agility is a core tenet. “Saffola stands for taste-forward “better-for-you” products. We do a lot of social listening and deep consumer interactions to gain insights and then develop our products based on those insights. For instance: When we launched Saffola Oats back in 2012, we realised that Indian consumers go for warm breakfast that is savoury and not sweet. That led us to build this whole category of instant masala oats.”

With a lot more focus on STEM education for women, Vora pointed that concerted efforts from various companies have ensured there are a lot more women talent now in the R&D spaceits heartening to see a lot more women being part of R&D teams in FMCG companies compared to when she started out in the field

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