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Sanjiv Puri’s ‘ITC Next’ strategy to drive into commanding position in FMCG industry market

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Powered by mega brands such as Aashirvaad, Sunfeast, Bingo!, Classmate, and Savlon, ITC is set to drive into a commanding position in what some analysts have estimated to be a Rs 5 lakh crore addressable FMCG industry market segment by 2035, with Chairman Sanjiv Puri putting in motion a carefully crafted ‘ITC Next’ strategy.

This re-crafted strategy, built around portfolio revitalisation, rapid platform-based innovation, aggressive digitisation, deeper synergies with other group businesses, structural leverages and a sharper focus on margins.

As an FMCG major, ITC is the only company that is dominant across a range of product categories from branded atta to biscuits; snacks to spices; noodles to dairy; chocolates to coffee; juices to frozen snacks and vegetables; deodorants to hand and body wash; sanitizers and masks to floor cleaners; and from notebooks to agarbatti, that none of the other Indian or multinational brands can claim to be present in.

Puri’s ‘ITC Next’ strategy pivots around a multi-pronged approach to revitalize the company’s current FMCG portfolio by fortifying and scaling up its proven megabrands, leveraging adjacencies through horizontal brand extensions, and nurturing new platforms with innovative products that will scale up to be leaders in their respective categories.

Mega brands and adjacencies

ITC has a plethora of megabrands such as Aashirvaad, Sunfeast, Bingo! and Classmate that already command leadership positions in the market.

The strategy of creating value added adjacencies could be best illustrated by the new Aashirvaad portfolio including Aashirvaad Nature’s Super Foods range comprising ragi flour, multi-millet mix, gluten free flour, organic atta and pulses as well as chapatis, instant meals and the Aashirvaad Svasti dairy range.

ITC is also fostering new platforms and strengthening its new brands including Fabelle chocolates, Sunbean coffee, B Natural juices, Nimyle home cleaners, Savlon hygiene products and so on. The overarching strategy for new platforms of innovative products is to first validate the concept and business model in select beachheads. Having gained a dominant market penetration, these new lines of products and brands will gain strength to occupy adjacent markets with different opportunities, building a larger brand with each new product, creating new and steady vectors of growth for the future.

ITC under Puri is unwavering in its resolve to build a formidable FMCG business. With innovation as the new lifeblood, the company today is one of the largest incubators of world-class Indian brands.

The Company’s wide range of FMCG portfolio has demonstrable headroom to expand rapidly in the FMCG industry overall addressable market segment of Rs 5 lakh crore.

For instance, the total size of the packaged snacksmarket for the overall industry is set to vault 4.5 times from about Rs 32,000 crore to an estimated Rs 1.43 lakh crore by 2035. The market for overall spices industry is projected to grow from about Rs 22,000 crore currently to Rs 1.1 lakh crore in 15 years, a growth of five times. Similar industry growths are expected in other categories such as biscuits, branded atta, noodles, deodorants, personal care products and the cleaners categories.

Most of ITC’s FMCG products occupy the first or the second positions in their respective categories giving them unique opportunity to corner most of these segment growths.

Aashirvaad, India’s number one branded packaged atta, itself has a consumer spend of over Rs 6,000 crore.

Digital, consumer-centric and future-ready

Puri’s strategy to make ITC future-ready manifests in his focus on driving the three megatrends emerging out of the pandemic – innovation, digitalisation and sustainability. The Company’s R& D Centre, the ITC Life Sciences and Technology Centre (LSTC) in Bengaluru helped ITC to launch 120 differentiated products amid the pandemic to meet emerging preferences. To further support this goal, the company has set up 9 state-of-the-art integrated consumer goods manufacturing facilities (ICML) to create structural advantages.

Digitalisation is being accelerated pan-ITC through the use of new technologies such as Industry 4.0, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Big Data, Industrial Internet of Things (IoT), etc. These technologies are also being deployed across the entire supply chain spanning sourcing, manufacturing, trade engagements and e-commerce, including its own ordering platform the ITC e-store. The FMCG business has further driven enhanced competitiveness through a multi-channel distribution strategy which have been strengthened by-customised apps.

Power of Synergies

The ‘ITC Next’ FMCG strategy has also been bolstered by synergies flowing in from the company’s other businesses.

A good example of synergies is ITC’s foods business deriving a significant competitive advantage from agribusiness’s sourcing capabilities. The culinary expertise of ITC’s Hotels business has also enabled ITC to craft differentiated food offerings.

Stronger growth, better margins

The robustness of Puri’s strategy for FMCG is evident from the segment EBIDTA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) increasing by by 82 per cent this Q2 from Q2 FY 20, as outlined in ITC’s second quarter financial results.

The FMCG businesses have been posting steady growth ahead of industry peers. During the last four years, ITC’s revenue from FMCG increased from around Rs 10,500 crore to nearly Rs 15,000 crore.

ITC’s FMCG business during 2020-21 grew 16 per cent versus the industry average of 8.5 per cent.

There has also been a steady improvement in profitability in the FMCG segment, with EBITDA margins having improved by more than 640 basis points between 2016-17 and 2020-21.

‘ITC Next’ strategy for other businesses

In August, at the company’s annual general meeting, Puri unveiled the extensive ‘ITC Next’ strategy to architect the structural drivers that will power ITC’s next horizon of growth and ensure that the enterprise remains future-oriented, consumer-centric and nimble.

ITC’s other businesses too have pivoted to create new frontiers for the future, with enhanced competitiveness as well as sharper focus on cost management to strengthen leadership or rapidly attain the top positions in the case of newer segments.

Some of the key drivers of growth, as identified by Puri, for ITC’s other businesses include an asset right strategy for Hotels powered by a repositioned WelcomHotel brand as well as newly launched brands such as The Storii and Mementos done with management contracts. Two management contracts have already been signed under the Mementos brand.

Similarly, in the Paperboards business, the company is concentrating on sustainable packaging and value-added paper, while in agriusiness, the emphasis is on Next Generation agriculture driven by the ‘super app’ ITC MAARS and value-added agriculture.

Special strategic thrust is also being provided to ITC Infotech, the wholly owned subsidiary which is on a strong growth and profitability trajectory over the last few years.

Business

Foreign investors make notable return to Indian equity markets in April

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New Delhi, April 26: Foreign investors have made a notable return to Indian equity markets this month, emerging as net buyers over the past two weeks, analysts said on Saturday.

In just the last seven trading sessions, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have turned decisively positive on Indian equities. This shift is largely attributed to a weakening US dollar, revisit of tariff agreements and a renewed sense of optimism surrounding India’s economic trajectory.

“Amid a challenging global backdrop, marked by sluggish growth in major economies like the United States and China, India continues to stand out higher for its economic resilience,” said Manoj Purohit, Partner and Leader, FS Tax, Tax and Regulatory Services, BDO India.

India is forecast to grow at a robust rate of over 6 per cent in FY26 and remains the only fastest-growing economy, making it a compelling destination for global investors.

“FPI inflows are expected to remain strong in the near term, providing additional support to the ongoing market rally. As global investors reassess their strategies, India’s economic fundamentals and earnings potential position it as a beacon of stability and growth in a turbulent events happening globally,” Purohit explained.

This month (till April 24), FPIs purchased equities worth Rs 22,716.43 crore while they sold equities worth Rs 17,196.33 crore, with net investment of Rs 5,520.1 crore.

Last month, FPIs ramped up buying in the second half of March 2025, driving a recovery in select sectors. BFSI led the inflows with a turnaround from $380 million selling to $2,055 million buying, netting $1,675 million for the month.

Telecommunications and metals and Mining also saw net inflows of $360 million and $219 million, respectively, according to a recent note by Bajaj Broking. Overall, FPI interest remained focused on BFSI, with most other sectors facing continued selling pressure.

With a strong economic outlook, policy reforms and a resilient market, India remains an attractive destination for global capital. The government’s continued focus on infrastructure, digital growth, and ease of doing business further boosts investor confidence.

The recent move by RBI to keep the existing corporate bond and G-sec limits unchanged for foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) is a testimony of the government’s intent to keep gateway open for offshore participants to continue infusing funds in India market.

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National

Big relief for Kunal Kamra as Bombay HC grants protection from arrest

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Mumbai, April 25: In a major relief for stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, the Bombay High Court on Friday granted him protection from arrest in connection with an FIR lodged over his satirical video and his controversial “gaddar” (traitor) remark aimed at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The court directed the Mumbai Police not to take any coercive action against Kamra, who is currently residing in Chennai.

The FIR had been filed following the circulation of a video in which Kamra allegedly mocked Shinde and referred to him as a “gaddar,” sparking outrage among the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) supporters.

While restraining the police from arresting the comedian, the court, however, allowed investigators to proceed with their inquiry.

It permitted the Mumbai Police to travel to Chennai to question Kamra, with the assistance of the local police.

The court said if the police file a charge sheet, the trial court should not proceed till the High Court decides the quashing petition filed by Kamra.

Kamra had filed a plea before the High Court seeking to quash the FIR filed against him.

Earlier on April 16, the High Court had granted him interim bail, which has now been made regular.

The FIR was filed at Khar police station following a complaint by Shiv Sena legislator Muraji Patel after Kamra, during a performance of his stand-up show Naya Bharat, allegedly referred to Shinde as a ‘gaddar’.

Kamra was initially granted interim anticipatory bail by the Madras High Court before he moved the Bombay High Court to seek quashing of the FIR and grant of regular bail.

The remark was purported as a reference to Shinde’s political defection from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena to join hands with the BJP, which led to a dramatic split in the party and the rise of a new ruling coalition MahaYuti.

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Business

Demand for homes priced Rs 1 crore and above boosts market in India: Report

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Mumbai, April 24: The demand for homes prices Rs 1 crore and above bolstered the Indian property market in the first quarter this year, preventing overall sales of 65,250 units from hard landing, a report said on Thursday.

Residential sales in Q1 2025 (January-March) experienced only a modest decline and added up to 65,246 units. This limited drop was primarily due to robust demand in the Rs 3-5 crore and Rs 1.5-3.0 crore segments, which helped counterbalance the slowdown in relatively affordable housing, according to a JLL report.

The steady growth in higher ticket size homes indicates increasing affluence among homebuyers, changing lifestyle preferences and buyers prioritising larger and premium properties.

According to the report, housing sales in India’s top seven cities continued to be dominated by Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Pune, which collectively accounted for 66 per cent of Q1 sales.

High concentration of MNCs and startups creating significant employment opportunities and ongoing infrastructure improvements make these cities increasingly attractive places to live and work.

It is interesting to note that over the last few quarters a significant share of quarterly sales volume has been contributed by projects launched during the same quarter.

Q1 2025 was no exception, with around one-fourth of its sales being contributed by quarterly new launches. Launches by reputed developers with assurance of timely delivery and steady price appreciation, are driving the trend, the report informed.

“The residential real estate market is showing signs of a shift in buyer preferences with lowering of demand for less than Rs 1 crore housing and a growing affinity for mid to high-end properties. This as well suggests a potential upward movement in the overall market dynamics,” said Dr Samantak Das, Chief Economist and Head of Research and REIS, India, JLL.

“This upswing in the higher-priced segment demand has shielded the overall housing sales from a sharper decline,” Das added.

Developers are focusing more on mid to high-end projects to align with current demand patterns. High-end housing sector experienced a steady upswing with 107 per cent year-on-year growth in launches of properties priced at Rs 1 crore and above, driven by strong sales in this segment.

Growth in launches despite economic uncertainties signals robust developer confidence in high-end housing demand, said the report, adding that 2025 is poised for robust growth in the residential sector demand.

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