They are made from premium American corn and 100 per cent gluten-free whole grain corn, which is enriched with zinc, copper, fibre, antioxidants and other nutrients. The pack contains mix’in seasoning sachets. For healthy snackers, there are also olive oil and vegetable oil mix variants, that have replaced the saturated fats in ordinary popcorn.
“Pipo offers a range of exciting seasonings to choose from. The unique mix’in taste bomb seasoning sachet will add value to regular popcorn and multiply the taste and aroma of this universal snack. Pipo will democratise the intake of popcorn in the country, because it is easy to cook and has a distinct variety on offer,” said Akshay Modi, executive director, Modi Naturals.
Popcorn is an all-time favourite snack at the cinema. In fact, PVR, one of India’s largest multiplex chains, sells 18,000 tubs of popcorn daily. And now, it has become an integral part of at-home easy foods, with the introduction of ready-to-cook popcorn packs in India. Moreover, the classic salted and butter popcorn are no longer the only options to choose from. Arrays of flavour fusions and diet variants have taken over the market.
“We are excited to have our own space in this lucrative market. We have always believed in bringing change and breaking the monotony of existing markets. Our product is uniquely Indian in nature in the selection of its spices,” Modi said.
“In the next few months, we plan to stretch our arms throughout India. Pipo will Indianise popcorn with its scrumptious seasonings, and we are confident it will become every urban household’s go-to snack in no time,” he added.
Pipo aims to capture the millennial demographic in this country and leave a mark on the food lover’s psychographic, in particular, on those who are hard-pressed for time, love having fun and enjoy experimenting with their food habits.
In India, the at-home popcorn consumption market is worth over Rs 200 crore, while its gourmet popcorn market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 36 per cent in the forecast period between 2016 and 2022.
In fact, despite the a hefty customs duty (amounting to about Rs 69 per Rs 100), two of the country’s leading popcorn brands import 23,000 tonne annually.
Popcorn is a bang-for-the-buck food, cheap and light on gut. Unlike the popcorn sold by roadside vendors, gourmet popcorn is grown in a specially-treated soil that produces a more chewy texture and a maize corn that can pop to about 40-60 times its original seed. Butterfly is one of the shapes that this corn can pop into.
