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ITC plans to double consumer spending on its Aashirvaad food brand to Rs. 20,000 crore over the next five years as it expands the brand into more food categories. Consumer spending on Aashirvaad currently exceeds Rs. 10,000 crore.
The company plans to grow its core atta business while adding products in ready-to-cook foods, frozen foods and other kitchen categories. Hemant Malik, Chief Executive Officer of ITC’s Foods Division and Executive Director at ITC Ltd, said the company expects the brand to reach the new spending target within five years.
Aashirvaad entered the Indian market in May 2002 as a whole wheat atta brand. Since then, ITC expanded it into staples, spices, fresh foods and frozen products. The brand now more than 200 stock-keeping units across different food categories.
Asked about the timeline for reaching Rs. 20,000 crore in consumer spending, Malik said, “We will double in the next five years.”
ITC currently manufactures Aashirvaad products at 66 facilities across India. The network allows the company to serve consumers in different regions and support wider distribution. ITC said the manufacturing setup also helps it supply products with shorter delivery times.
In FY26, ITC’s FMCG portfolio reached around 28 crore households and recorded nearly Rs. 37,000 crore in consumer spending. Consumer spending includes net sales, channel margins and applicable taxes paid by buyers.
ITC also sees more room for growth in the atta market. The company introduced multigrain, high-protein, organic and millet-based atta as consumers look for products linked to nutrition, wellness and regional food preferences.
Along with atta, ITC is using the Aashirvaad brand to enter more convenience food categories. The company introduced ready-to-cook chapatis aimed at younger households and consumers with limited cooking time. Each pack contains 10 chapatis, no added preservatives and carries a shelf life of five to six days.
The wider range also includes besan, vermicelli, rava, soya chunks, frozen naans, frozen parathas, fresh chutneys and sambar. ITC wants these products to increase the number of meals and cooking occasions in which consumers use Aashirvaad products.
Malik said consumers increasingly look beyond price when selecting packaged food products. “Premiumisation is not merely about a higher price point. Consumers today are willing to spend on products that offer tangible value, whether through superior quality, convenience, health and nutritional benefits built through meaningful innovation,” he said.
He also said ITC plans to enter categories where it can address specific consumer needs. “The objective is to be present in categories where ITC can meaningfully address consumer pain points through innovation and differentiation,” Malik said.
ITC also added sattu to the Aashirvaad portfolio as it expands into protein-rich traditional foods. The company launched Aashirvaad Chana Sattu in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. It also introduced Sattu Masala under Sunrise, the spice brand that ITC acquired in 2020.
The company makes Aashirvaad Chana Sattu using a traditional sand-roasting process. It sells Chana Sattu with Jeera in Bihar and Plain Chana Sattu in West Bengal and Jharkhand. ITC also introduced a Rs 10 pack that provides 10 grams of protein.
Malik said ITC wants to expand the product outside eastern India. “While we have initially launched it in the eastern markets, we see significant potential in the product. Our ambition is to scale it nationally and make ‘sattu’ a widely accessible and affordable protein option for consumers,” he said.
The expansion of sattu, ready-to-cook foods, frozen products and premium atta variants forms part of ITC’s plan to widen Aashirvaad’s presence across India while working toward the Rs 20,000 crore consumer spending target.
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