Marico acquires D2C breakfast and snacks brand True Elements

Marico, the maker of brands like Saffola and Parachute, has acquired a 54 percent stake in breakfast and snacks brand True Elements through primary infusion and secondary buy-outs, the company said on May 23.

This marks Marico's entry into the healthy breakfast and snacks segment, where brands such as Soulfull, Tru Native and Slurrp Farm, etc. operate.

True Elements offers over 70 products across categories of Western breakfast (oats, muesli, granola, flakes), Indian breakfast (poha, upma, dosa), snacks (roasted seeds, seed mixes, raw seeds) amongst others. Currently, available on over 90 online platforms and over 12,000 retail outlets, True Elements plans to significantly ramp up its offline presence over the next few years.

Saugata Gupta, MD, and CEO, Marico, in a press statement said, “True Elements is another step towards expanding our total addressable market in the healthy foods segment. We believe the ethos of the brand complements the purpose that drives Marico. The exciting range of products brings to life the rare and virtuous blend of quality, taste, and health at the right price. This adds another digital-first brand in our portfolio, which not only has a distinct proposition but also exhibits strong fundamentals along with a growing digital and offline presence.”

Eyeing a D2C play, several FMCG companies have acquired digital-first brands in the foods and beverages, and personal care products segments. In March, Emami acquired a 19 percent stake in nutrition firm Tru Native. While Tata Consumer Products had acquired Soulfull in 2021.

Marico’s other bets on the D2C segment include male grooming brand Beardo and organic beauty brand Just Herbs. The company plans to “build a portfolio of at least three Rs 100-crore plus digital brands within the next three years.”