Today is 15th June,2020; Jyeshtha 25days, Mithuna 1day, Dashamee Tithi, Monday .
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Come on Friends! Bite a Biscuit
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Hello! Friends...when your mother asks you to buy a biscuit packet from market, bring home a biscuit packet - you are puzzled. Isn't it ? Which biscuit to buy? Which brand to choose ? What is the best brand? What is the price factor, content, taste,size and above all the nutritional value ?
Our Indian Biscuit Market is flooded with brands - like Parle, Britannia, Sunfeast, Unibic, Horlicks, Anmol, Priya Gold, Cremica, Biskfarm, Bakemania,Sobisco,NeZone, Rose, Mc Vities, Patanjali, Duke ,Mayur etc. in organised sectors. There are hundreds of biscuit making marketeers in unorganised sectors too.
In the world scenario, the oldest biscuit brand was - Twinings Tea founded by Thomas Twining in 1787. Other world leading Biscuit companies are - Cadbury, Boots, Fox's Biscuits, Bur berry, Lyle's Golden syrup etc.
Going back to the history of biscuit, the first biscuits were baked in Persia during 7th century. However, the modern Biscuit was invented in Paris, France.
The word - "Biscuit" has been originated from the Latin word - " bis cotum" meaning -" baked twice".
In the beginning of 20th century , Biscuit was treated as the urbanized fashion food ; and was also regarded as a sick- man's diet. As years passed away, now - Biscuit has become every body's First Choice,Fast Food.
Biscuits come in varieties of taste, such as - sweet,salty, chocolate, cream,shrewsbury, cookies, munchos vegetable, gluten n sugar free etc.
In a 100 gram of biscuit packet, the nutrient contents are - 53% carbohydrates, 41% fat and 6% Protein .
A 100gram biscuit packet, when consumed can release 478 calories energy.
Biscuit is a very nutritious snack food - which is easy to carry, easy to store, easy to eat and get digested with an affordable price of as low as five rupees per a tiny packet.
Friends ! the Indian Biscuit industry dates back to 1892, when a group of British business man started Britannia Biscuit Company Ltd. by investing only Rs.295 ,then in British regime. Then, the company was taken over by Nalin Chandra Gupta. The Britannia industries was in serious controversies in matters of ownership from time to time.
Rajan Pillai, who was regarded as the Biscuit Baron of India , was also managing the Company from 1980s to 1995.
Now, the Wadia Group of Nusli Wadia has been managing this esteemed Britannia business house.Varun Berry is the present Managing Director of this prestigious Britannia Industries.
Another company of India , Parle in the then Bombay began manufacturing biscuits in 1939. Parle has been the leading Biscuit Company in India.
Primarily in India, Biscuit was made by using flour,sugar and saturated oil. But, in recent years, biscuit industry got a face lift by utilising the modern technology - of molding, baking, cooling & auto processing and packing too.
India has become the third largest producer of Biscuits in the world, after USA & China.
According to an estimate, the total production of biscuits in India is around 30 lakh MT. The per capita biscuit consumption in India is as low as 2•1Kg as compared with the highest consumption rate of 21•76 Kg of Ireland.
The Indian Biscuit industry is the largest among all the food industries in FMCG sector.
As per the expectations of the Federation of Biscuit Manufacturers of India (FBMI)-
the future prospects of the industry is very bright.
Now, we will focus on the impact of Corona Pandemic effects on the Biscuit industries in India. Biscuit industries are the major Gainers during the Lockdown periods of March to May 2020. People boosted the biscuit industry by consuming more. The demand saw the growth rate of biscuit industry from 7-8% to galloping 12-15% during pre-Covid & Lockdown periods respectively.
The organised Biscuit industry market now in India stands at whooping Rs.37,000 Crores in size.
Friends, when you wake up in the morning, you ask for a cup of tea. With the morning or the evening tea , you ask for another adding - that's surely -the Biscuits. Am I Right?
The tea's instant companion is the Biscuit. Come on Friends ! Bite a Biscuit...
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( Text : SurendraNath Pradhan, PRO I/c Marketing Manager, OPOLFED,Laxmisagar, Bhubaneswar,Odisha, India )
