With the flagship brand India Gate Basmati Rice that is widely recognised in India and overseas, KRBL is a leader in the Indian rice industry with a proud heritage that goes back 120 years. Ayush Gupta, marketing head – India, KRBL, talks about the company’s strong brand presence in the market
How important is the HoReCa segment for your company?
HoReCa consumption of basmati rice in India is pegged at approximately 30 per cent of total basmati sales in India. It is indeed a very critical segment for KRBL to operate and succeed within. KRBL is the world’s largest miller of rice and exporter of basmati rice. We market our products as India’s largest selling brand name called India Gate Basmati Rice. KRBL’s key focus in the basmati rice industry has been to provide to the customer a superior quality product in a regular and consistent manner. Our efforts have always been towards R&D, process improvements and production efficiency. The result is that we were able to create a strong brand. Though our focus has primarily been the end-consumer and retailing of our brand and products, we are consistently developing strategies to effectively offer our bouquet of brands to the HoReCa segment. 2016 will be marked as the key year where we will be making aggressive inroads into this segment.
Do you have specific products that are popular among hotels and restaurants?
We at KRBL have the most extensive range of basmati rice products available. We have 14 brands and over 130 SKUs to cater to the vastness and diversity of the India market. India Gate brand being the flagship brand of KRBL is the most popular among quality conscious hotels and restaurants. Our product India Gate Classic which is genuinely aged for two years is a pride for many chefs not only in India but around the globe.
Other than this, the range of India Gate Basmati Rice such as India Gate Super, Tibar and Dubar have been consistently used by hotels and restaurants and caterers around India.
The parboiled range of India Gate (namely India Gate Golden Sella/ White Sella) is a popular choice in Kerala among chefs and caterers.
For the price conscious buyers our Basmati Rice steam range fits the bill and we have several brands catering to that customer requirement. Most popular of which is Unity Basmati Rice specifically in the southern part of the country in states such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka where the biryani eating culture is at its peak.
What is your strategy for engagement with the sector (in particular chefs and restaurant owners)?
The HoReCa segment is very different as compared to retail segment when it comes to delivering value proposition and marketing communication. We need to tailor our communication to address the needs of this segment and suggest how our range of products would provide a much superior experience, not only for the chefs but also for the customers.
The product in itself is very undifferentiated and hence superiority in quality and service with year round consistency is going to be the game winner. We at KRBL have a widespread distribution network around India with more than 500 distributors exclusively dealing with KRBL products. We ensure topmost service quality, from small frequent delivery requests to mutually benefiting credit payment terms to a designated company representative ‘just a call away’.
We wish to participate in credible HoReCa exhibitions and network with the community and ensure we are heard and seen by the right people. We organise chefs/cooks meet in cities in India where we demonstrate company strength and product capabilities and hence network with the interested buyers.
