This report profiles India’s Food and Beverage industry, discussing market trends and outlook through 2015 and beyond. The report also highlights leading players in the sector including Britannia Industries Ltd, Nestle India Ltd and Jubilant Foodworks Ltd.

Sales growth in the food and beverage industry witnessed a five-year low in FY14. Overall economic slowdown and inflation led to a contraction in consumer demand during the fiscal year. However, decline in inflation in FY15 and better economic growth led to an improvement in FY15 sales. The trend is expected to continue in FY16. India’s huge population backed by a growing purchasing power makes it an ideal hunting ground for global food and beverage players. The market is expected to flourish further with greater investment and consistency in regulatory policies.

The outlook for Indian food and beverage is stable because of growing sales, reforms in retail sector and increasing urbanization. The ever increasing middle class backed by rising per capita income will further act as a growth driver for this sector in the years to come.

Key Points:

• The current regulations and policies allow 100% foreign direct investments under the automatic route in the food processing and allied sectors. As of March 2015, the sector accounted for around 3.9% of the total FDI inflows in India.

• India suffered high inflation during FY10-14. The most worrying factor was the consistent rise in food prices which ate into the disposable income of Indian middle class. However, steep decline in crude oil prices brought a much needed relief from inflation. Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation declined considerably in FY15, falling to a five-year low of -4.9% in August 2015. Consumer Price Index (CPI) also saw a significant decline to 3.7% in August 2015.

• The index of industrial production (IIP) for the food and beverage manufacturing industry was affected by the industrial slowdown in FY14, recording a decline of 1% y/y. However, the index saw an improvement in FY15, growing by 4.5% y/y.