Health foods — Targeting the new age disorders

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Health foods — Targeting the new age disorders

V. V. Ravi Kumar

NEW age Indian patients comprise a growing niche segment which

marketers have been quick to tap into with customised health-food

products. More and more supermarkets are, increasingly, boasting

separate health food counters that stock a wide range of products,

ranging from low-calorie biscuits to fibre-based cholesterol-free

breads, to even sugar-free rice.

The popularity of these counters can be gauged from the fact that

the products are being lapped up quickly by a growing breed of

consumers — the new age patients and the health conscious.

This segment of the health food market in India is now displaying

almost all the characteristics of a niche market. These are:

Adequate size: It is estimated that around 35 million people in

India are diabetic, of which 13 million cases are yet to be

detected.

The reasons for this alarming growth in population are many — high

levels of stress at the workplace, sudden change in lifestyles due

to evolution of nuclear families and working couples, resulting in

increased intake of outside food.

Added to this is the growing tendency of teenagers to ape the West

by going in for junk food and, that too, in increased quantities due

to more hours spent slouching in front of the television. All these

factors have contributed to increased obesity levels among Indians,

making them highly susceptible to disorders such as diabetes and

hypertension.

These are the new age patients, many of whom are afflicted with

these disorders even in the prime of their youth.

The sole prescription by the doctors for such patients is to avoid

foods with a high sugar, salt, calorie and cholesterol content and

to increase their intake of foods rich in fibre.

Growth potential: The World Health Organisation estimates that there

would be over 55 million diabetics in the country by 2025. Marketers

are, thus, beginning to see immense potential in this growing niche.

In fact, chances are that this niche segment may be transformed into

a mass segment over a period of time, considering the fast pace at

which more and more Indians are getting falling prey to these

lifestyle diseases.

Few competitors: There are only a few established brands in this

category and most of them are local.Premium pricing: It is

invariably noticed that most of the products in this category are

priced above their regular offerings. Thus, Modern Food Industries

(India) Ltd., a subsidiary of Hindustan Lever Ltd, has priced its

latest bread offering " Modern - 7 Must, " comprising seven healthy

grains, at Rs 18 for a 400 gm pack. Nilgiris, the popular

supermarket chain in South India, has priced its whole-wheat bread

without any added sugar at Rs 17 for its standard pack. These prices

are at a premium to the regular bread offerings in the market

(including the products of these two companies) priced in the Rs 10-

12 range.

For many years now, in the health beverages category, Horlicks has

been positioned on top. It unearthed a new gap — the need for a low

calorie (cholesterol and sugar-free) health drink that can be taken

by all the categories of consumers affected with various disorders.

As the incidence of diabetes and hypertension in India are growing,

there is no dearth of such potential consumers. Hence, it has come

out with a new version of the Horlicks beverage — " Horlicks Lite " —

primarily aimed at these patients. Since it satisfies a focussed

segment, it has been priced at a premium of around Rs 40 to its

traditional offering for a standard 500 gm bottle, thus positioning

it as a niche product with a specific customer in mind.

As more and more Indians are diagnosed with the new age disorders ,

it is but natural that there will be an increasing demand for such

customised health food products catering to a very specific niche

segment of customers, who are willing to pay a premium.

More and more companies in India are seeing in this a major

marketing opportunity and, therefore, it will not be surprising if

there are a slew of product launches aimed at this niche market. So

the next time you enter a supermarket, don't be surprised if the

health food counter too is decked with new offerings.