Nestle India, a prominent FMCG manufacturer, has ventured into the Ready-to-Make (RTM) market with a focus on millets-based products. This expansion involves introducing millets-based offerings under their established nutrition brand, a+.
The company has introduced a+ masala millets containing bajra in the select market of NCR and online but has plans to expand it to other markets as it scales up, its Chairman and Managing Director Suresh Narayanan said on Thursday.
The development of this product has been carried out in collaboration with the Indian Millet Institute of Millet Research, aligning with the government’s efforts to encourage millets as a more eco-friendly and sustainable food choice.
“We felt that ‘a+’ has strong nutritional connotations and that is why we decided to launch the new product under this brand. This is being done under a public-private partnership with IIMR and is in line with the government’s focus on millets. There is growing health consciousness among Gen Z and millennials and we believe this can be a mass-market product,” Narayanan said in a media round table here.
Within the a+ brand, Nestle India presently provides products such as Greek yogurt, Nourish Milk, mishti doi sweetened with jaggery, curd, and more.
Nestle India is broadening its emphasis on products derived from millets. They have introduced offerings like Ceregrow grain selection featuring ragi, Milo Cocoa Malt enriched with bajra, and Koko Krunch breakfast cereals combining millet and jowar.
Nestlé has recently introduced two variants of Nestlé a+ Masala Millet, which are currently being tested in the Delhi-NCR region. These options are set to become available in other areas over the upcoming months.
Furthermore, Nestle also intends to introduce a variety of millet-based products in various formats, including within the Maggi noodles range. This move aims to enhance its presence within the relevant category.