Soya Brand Nutrela cooks plans for new categories

Ruchi Group – Nutrela Products

Ruchi Soya Indutries, makers of the largest-selling soya food brand Nutrela, is getting ready to rejuvenate its portfolio with a range of value-added yet niche food products under the franchise. The com pant is plans to tap into the growing breakfast cereal market.

“We are looking at a total food experience for the Nutrela brand, wich is being retalised and rejuvenated with a 360-degree approach to include a range of value-added products,” said Sarvesh Shahra, Business Head (consumer Brands Division), Ruchi Soya Industries, adding, ” We are looking at the heat-and-eat space in breakfast cereals with a differentiated offering.”

The two-decade-old Nutrela brand is estimated to record Rs 1,000 crore sales turnover, including low-absorption cooking oils.

In the past, several attempts have been made to extend Nutrela beyond soya chunks and granules into the ready-to-eat snacks and beverage space.

Recently, Nutrela has entered the margarine category with Nutrela premium table spread. While the size of the butter category is estimated at nearly Rs 1,400 crore, the margarine segment is much smaller at Rs 150 crore, giving brands like Nutrela a chance to establish themselves in the category, despite the presence of stalwarts such as Amul, Britannia and market leader Zydus Cadila(with Nutralite).

“Butter has reached a saturation points as the number of new users are limited and is growing at a mere two to three per cent today as compared to the table spread category, which is growing at 10 per cent,” added Sandipa Ghosh, Assistant Vice-President(AVP) (Consumer Brands Division), Ruchi Soya.

Advertising major O&M’s sister agency Meridian has been roped in to develop a new campaign for Nutrela’s latest offering. Further, the company has also roped in partners such as multiplex PVR (for Nutrela pop lites popcorn) and Jet Airways, to promote its brand as part of a sampling exercise.

In 2008, Nutrela had also made a serious foray into the beverage category under the N’ rich brand, a Blended juice with a soya component, but withdrew the product soon after. Today, it would rather stay away from the clutteres beverage category which is already dominated by multinational brands.