After ITC, now Britannia launches potato biscuits

FMCG major Britannia, one of the largest players in the biscuits market in the country, on Tuesday, launched ‘5050 Potazos’, a potato-based biscuit.

Britannia 5050 Potazos is thin, crispy and delivers the familiar ‘masaledar’ flavours of a potato chip in a biscuit format, the company informed.

The company has launched the new variant under its 5050 brand.

“Britannia 50-50 Potazos is a terrific addition to the 50-50 brand and we believe this product can source from both the biscuits market and the salted snacks market, which are the largest two categories in food in the country,” said Vinay Subramanyam, VP Marketing, Britannia Industries.

The product is being launched in Assam and North East markets in July and will roll out in the rest of the country in the coming months.

Britannia is not the only entrant to this category, which has witnessed consumer interest of late. Last month, ITC, too, had forayed into it by launching Sunfeast All Rounder.

This newfound interest of FMCG companies in potato biscuits comes on the back of the popularity of Bangladeshi brand Pran’s Potata biscuits in India. The biscuit is particularly popular in Eastern India. ITC, too, has introduced Sunfeast All Rounder in West Bengal, North-Eastern and Southern states initially.

Though ITC has a significant player in the biscuits market in India, Britannia along with Parle Products commands a 70 percent share of the market in value terms. Given its large presence in over 2 million outlets, Britannia is set to disrupt this new category.

The organised biscuit market in India is valued at Rs 37,000-40,000 crores. Other major companies operating in the biscuit market of India are Surya Food & Agro Limited and Unibic Foods India