PepsiCo India is set to give a leg-up to its acquired brand Uncle Chipps. In terms of national presence, the company plans to get the brand at par with its largest selling potato chips brand – Lay’s.

Uncle Chipps continues to dominate in the northern and eastern markets, but is perceived as a regional brand.

“We are bringing in more flavours for Uncle Chipps which are relevant to the western and southern regions. Region-specific flavours will help the brand build distribution,” said Gaurav Mehta, Category Director, Western Snacks, PepsiCo India Foods. Uncle Chipps was the market leader in the 1990s and was acquired by Frito-Lay, PepsiCo’s snacks division, in October 2000. However, Lay’s (launched in 1995) continues to rule the snacks category.

Considering traditional flavours work equally well in the snacks category, Uncle Chipps will now sharpen its positioning to appeal to a pan-India audience. Mehta said: “Uncle Chipps has always had a broader target audience, which has not been sharply defined unlike Lay’s which is targeted at the youth.” With more India-specific flavours, Uncle Chipps is now expected to gain a national foothold.