Diwali Snack Wars: New kids aim to bite into India’s legacy brands
- IBEF
- October 22, 2025
India's Rs. 46,571 crore (US$ 5.29 billion) snack market is a fiercely contested battleground this Diwali, with legacy giants like Haldiram's facing competition from startups offering healthier, premium, and thoughtfully packaged snacks. The market is projected to more than double to Rs. 1,01,811 crore (US$ 11.57 billion) by 2033, expanding at an 8.6% compound annual rate. The namkeen segment alone is expected to add nearly Rs. 39,591 crore (US$ 4.5 billion) in value by 2029. Traditional brands like Haldiram's, Balaji Wafers, and Bikaj Foods continue to dominate, leveraging their trust, affordability, and distribution muscle. However, a new breed of startups is disrupting the market with 'clean,' 'mindful,' and 'modern' indulgences. Startups like Farmley, TagZ, Bonvie, and TooYumm! are betting on premium, clean-label snacking, targeting both urban consumers and emerging Tier-II/ Tier-III markets.
The rise of these new-age snack makers reflects a cultural transformation, with younger, label-conscious consumers driving the shift towards healthier and more transparent snacking options. Data suggests that 55% of Indians now prefer preservative-free snacks, while 52% prioritise eco-conscious packaging. On-the-go formats like dry-fruit desserts and energy bars are seeing rapid adoption, with healthy snacks growing 1.2 times faster than traditional ones. This Diwali, the competition is particularly fierce, with traditional players flooding shelves with gift packs of namkeen and sweets, while startups push limited-edition makhana boxes and dry-fruit assortments with sleek branding. Quick commerce platforms like Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart have made discovery frictionless, giving digital-first brands national visibility overnight. The result is a market that offers both nostalgic and aspirational options, reflecting a cultural shift between legacy and modernity, tradition and reinvention.
Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.
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