India market key to be a top global brand: Biscoff maker
MUMBAI: Your next pack of Biscoff cookies will be made in India which also means you will be paying less for them. The Belgian brand from the house of Lotus Bakeries has started local production in India in partnership with Cadbury chocolates and Oreo cookies maker Mondelez as the family run Brussels listed company plans to ride on India’s growth potential to expand Biscoff’s global footprint.The Indian market, Jan Boone, CEO at the nearly 100-year-old Lotus Bakeries said, is key to Biscoff’s ambition to become the third largest global brand. Local production, Boone said, will make the brand more affordable for consumers.
Mondelez India will manufacture Biscoff cookies in its Rajasthan plant (through their third party manufacturer) besides marketing and distributing them locally.“If we want to be number three in the world, if we want to be a global brand, India should be a part of it. We could not conquer India on our own, the distribution is complex,” Boone said in a media roundtable. Locally made Biscoff cookies will hit retail shelves and online channels across the country in 45 days.Boone expects India, a country with a large cohort of Gen Zs–Biscoff’s key target consumers to become the brand’s top 3-4 markets going ahead. With this partnership, that was announced last year, Lotus Bakeries which rivals Mondelez globally in the snacking space, has for the first time outsourced production of Biscoff to another firm.“Biscoff is loved by Gen Z. We have almost 1.8 billion views on TikTok and social media. In India, Gen Zs make up more than 25% of the population,” said Boone. The CEO did not reveal the terms of the deal with Mondelez but said it has a “long term perspective” and if things work out well, it will continue for good. For Lotus Bakeries that has a portfolio of snacking brands including Bear, Trek and Peter’s Yard, Biscoff accounts for more than half of its turnover which stood at 1.2 billion euros in 2024.Lotus Bakeries is betting on the taste and distinct caramelised flavour of Biscoff to set itself apart from competition in India. Besides, given the fact that Indians love to have a biscuit or cookie with their cup of chai and coffee, there’s scope for the brand to grow in the market and offer consumers a choice to premiumise their basket of cookies.“There’s an opportunity for us to premiumise the cookie market in India, offering a very premium cookie as a beverage accompaniment both for tea and coffee,” said Samir Jain, president-India at Mondelez International.The pricing has been kept affordable to enable wider accessibility. The low unit packs are priced at Rs 10, the mid pack at Rs 80 and the large packs will sell for Rs 110. Premium cookies make up only 3.5-4% of the broader local biscuits market, providing enough scope for Biscoff to grow and expand the segment, said Jain. T hrough Biscoff, Mondelez will compete with Parle, ITC and Britannia in the space. As part of the global deal between Mondelez International and Lotus Bakeries (focused on Biscoff brand), the two companies also plan to develop and market co-branded chocolate products in other countries alongside launching Biscoff ice creams in Europe.
