Lay’s, potato chip brand from PepsiCo India, has launched two new offerings – Chile Limon and French Salt & Cracked Pepper. According to a press release issued by the company, made with best quality potatoes, the new flavours have a different but familiar taste appeal. The new flavours will be available in 12.5 gm, 26 gm and 57 gm packs, priced at Rs 5, Rs 10 and Rs 20, respectively.

Gaurav Mehta, director, India Foods, PepsiCo India, said, “As market leader, PepsiCo Foods is committed to delivering new taste experiences to our consumers. Lay’s is known for its great tasting and fun offerings and with this new launch, we are adding delight to the young consumers’ snack basket.

PepsiCo India’s namkeen brand Kurkure has been launched in three Indo-international variants: Punjabi Pizza, Andhra Bangkok Curry and Rajasthani Manchurian. They are available in three price points: 22g pack priced at Rs 5, 48g pack at Rs 10, and 110g pack at Rs 20. Punjabi Pizza, as the name suggests, is a combination of pizza and Punjabi spices. Andhra Bangkok Curry combines the spicy cuisine of the southern state and Thai cuisine, and Rajasthani Manchurian is a fusion of the taste of Rajasthan and Oriental cuisine.

Nalin Sood, executive vice president – foods, PepsiCo India, said that Kurkure is a brand loved by consumers for its flavour that appeals to every Indian. The launch of fusion flavours brings alive our brand essence of Twist by Tradition. “We are now offering a great blend of Indian and international tastes. This is the phenomena we see all around us. We Indians love to make international tastes better by adding our own Indian touch,” Nalin said.

Balaji Wafers Pvt Ltd, manufacturers and distributors of potato chips and other grain-based bagged snacks, is looking for partners who will invest and help it expand operations. The same was stated by Chandubhai Virani, Founder and Managing Director, Balaji Wafers Pvt Ltd. PepsiCo Inc. is among suitors exploring a bid for Balaji Wafers as it pushes to sell more chips in developing countries, said a source. Indra Nooyi, CEO, PepsiCo Inc., has tried to wrest a greater share of snack markets in developing countries by appealing to local tastes, according to a reports.

“The Virani family plans to sell up to a 49 per cent stake for as much as USD 300 million”, informed a source. “Our goal has always been to make good quality products that are cheap. Right now we don’t produce enough to meet the demand. Sales have been growing at 25 per cent annually and reached Rs ten billion last year. The entire company is worth about Rs 40 billion,” said Virani.

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.