NEW DELHI: Convenience guidelines and shoppers at the moment are reaching for ready-to-cook (RTC) meals greater than ever earlier than. Interestingly, RTC is the one class in packaged meals that has doubled in quantity over the past two years, with a further 18 million households leaping on board.While packaged meals witnessed single-digit progress of practically 8%, RTC class recorded 58% improve in 2024, in accordance to the newest information from Kantar Worldpanel.
From dosa batters to curry and cake mixes, buyers are usually not solely embracing ease, however have doubled their annual journeys to buy the class. Urbanisation, the rise of dual-income households and a busy evolving way of life is driving the development.Even as RTC has surged, its cousin class, Ready-to-eat (RTE) meals, is rapidly shedding relevance. RTE, which incorporates merchandise that may be served straight from the pack, (reminiscent of, heat and eat pulaos, heat and eat curries, the place the packaged meals simply wants to be warmed earlier than consuming) has misplaced half its quantity prior to now two years.This underscores a larger curiosity in the direction of semi-cooked choices that supply comfort with out compromising the home-cooked expertise, in contrast to totally cooked meal choices, Ok Ramakrishnan, MD, South Asia, worldpanel division, Kantar instructed TOI. “Convenience is king, but the landscape is evolving. Consumers want speed, but they also crave freshness, health, and control over their meals. Brands that innovate along these lines stand poised to capture the next wave of growth,”he added.Capitalising on the trend, packaged food companies are expanding their offerings.Ashu Phakey, VP and business head – frozen and fresh foods at ITC, said “There has been substantial progress within the general RTC class in the previous couple of years, given the heightened demand. In addition, the current rise of fast commerce has boosted accessibility. In the previous couple of years, we’ve seen Indian shoppers more and more add RTC merchandise of their grocery basket. There are a number of components, that are driving class traction reminiscent of, improve in disposable revenue, comfort, accessibility and innovation within the product portfolio. Also, shoppers choose shopping for RTC because it additionally cues contemporary meals made at dwelling”.Just a few years in the past, the comfort class made up a mere 5% of the packaged meals section. Today, that share has climbed to 8%, a gentle however vital enlargement that displays their rising foothold. Rajiv Kumar, vice chairman, Dharampal Satyapal Group stated: “We have been present in the gourmet, ready-to-cook gravies segment since late 2023. These products tend to be more popular, as they cater to the consumer’s desire to feel involved in the cooking process.”
