siliconindia | | NOVEMBER 20258India's snack aisle is no longer about crunch and cravings it's about code, conscience, and culture. The familiar crackle of chips is giving way to the quiet hum of innovation labs, where nutrition scientists, data analysts, and sustainability crusaders are redefining what it means to munch smart. The battlefield once fought over salt and spice has shifted to algorithms and amino acids, where snacks are crafted not just to delight but to do good for the body, the planet, and the balance sheet. This isn't a passing fad it's a transformation where brands no longer sell snacks, they sell purpose, performance, and progress in every bite.The New Economics of India's Smart Snacking SurgeAt its core, the smart snacking surge is a confluence of demographic dynamite and regulatory rigor. Urbanization has swelled India's middle class to 400 million by 2025, with dual-income households now 30 percent of urban families craving convenience without caloric compromise. Add to this a health epidemic, 101 million diabetes cases projected by 2030, coupled with 73 percent of Gen Z scrutinizing labels for protein and fiber. The result? A 63 percent consumer tilt toward healthier treats, where one in five snacks now wears a health-centric badge, up 50 percent year-on-year.From a supply-side vantage, FMCG incumbents face commoditization fatigue. Traditional extruded snacks, dominant at 56 percent market share, are plateauing as raw material volatility (palm oil spikes) erodes margins by 15-20 percent. Enter smart alternatives, multigrain puffs and seed clusters that leverage underutilized crops like millets, aligning with the government's 2023 International Year of Millets push and slashing input costs via regenerative EDITORIAL EXCLUSIVEBy Sejal Singh B G, Correspondent, SiliconindiaWHY INDIAN BRANDS ARE BETTING ON SMART SNACKING AS THE NEXT BIG WAVE
< Page 7 | Page 9 >