Brands
On National Croissant Day, know how Indians are turning a French classic into a spicy snack
MUMBAI & BENGALURU: The croissant is shedding its café-only reputation in India—and picking up spice along the way. Fresh data from ITC Sunfeast Baked Creations and Swiggy shows the flaky French staple rapidly becoming an all-day Indian snack, with orders surging nearly 20 per cent year-on-year and more than 1.5 million croissants ordered across major metros in the past year alone.
Nearly one in three croissants ordered in India’s big cities now comes from ITC Sunfeast Baked Creations, underlining how quickly the category is scaling. To mark National Croissant Day on January 30, the brand has partnered with Swiggy to launch CroissantVerse, a curated discovery experience offering 18 sweet and savoury variants, available through Swiggy’s health-focused EatRight category.
The biggest shift is not just volume, but behaviour. Croissants are no longer waiting for brunch. They are showing up at chai breaks, post-work snack runs and midnight hunger pangs, competing directly with burgers, wraps and puffs in the same hunger window—just flakier.
Indian preferences are also rewriting the flavour rulebook. While croissants globally skew sweet, 56 per cent of croissant orders in India are savoury. In Mumbai and Pune, savoury demand crosses 60 per cent, driven by fillings such as chicken, egg and cheese, mushrooms and sandwich-style combinations.
Formats are evolving fast. ITC Sunfeast Baked Creations has pushed beyond the classic crescent with pinwheel croissants inspired by thecha-style peanut, chilli and garlic flavours, and CroPies—croissant shells filled with hearty savoury fillings. Options range from paneer bhurji and chicken béchamel to chicken tikka and mutton keema, blurring the line between snack and meal.
“Croissants are no longer an occasional café indulgence,” said Rohit Bhalla, business head – food tech at ITC Limited. “Our goal is to make them a regular, everyday choice for Indian households. Formats like CroPies and pinwheel croissants have been instant hits, reflecting the growing preference for snack-meal hybrids, while classics like the French butter croissant, frangipane almond croissant and dark fantasy chocolate loaded croissant continue to see strong repeat demand.”
Geographically, croissant culture is clustering in metros. Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune are driving demand, with ITC Sunfeast Baked Creations emerging as the most preferred croissant brand in Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad, while steadily scaling up in Mumbai and Pune. Among classics, almond croissants remain the top choice, with ITC Sunfeast’s frangipane almond croissant ranking among the most ordered across cities.
Swiggy’s data shows croissants now cutting across eating moments. “What’s interesting is how croissants are being chosen across very different occasions—from evening snack cravings to late-night dessert runs,” said Sidharth Bhakoo, chief business officer at Swiggy Food Marketplace. “Consumers are clearly treating them as full-fledged snack options rather than café accompaniments.”
Once a brunch indulgence, the croissant is now India’s anytime bite—and it’s not just butter that’s driving demand, but spice, speed and scale.
Brands
Axis Bank named Official Banking Partner of DP World PGTI
Partnership supports all tournaments this season to grow professional golf in India.
MUMBAI: Axis Bank just teed up a hole-in-one partnership because when a bank sponsors golf’s biggest swing in India, even the fairways feel more financially secure. Axis Bank has been appointed Official Banking Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (DP World PGTI), strengthening its commitment to sporting excellence and community engagement while backing the growth of professional golf across the country.
Under the partnership, Axis Bank will support all DP World PGTI tournaments this season, contributing to talent development, enhanced tournament experiences and wider fan engagement. The collaboration aligns the bank’s values of precision, discipline and trust with the Tour’s focus on performance and opportunity.
Axis Bank executive director Munish Sharda said, “We are pleased to partner with DP World PGTI as its Official Banking Partner. Golf embodies precision, discipline, and a pursuit of excellence qualities that strongly reflect who we are at Axis Bank. This association also strengthens our engagement with India’s growing premium customer segments, where the sport has a deep and enduring connect.”
Professional Golf Tour of India president Kapil Dev said, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Axis Bank as a Tour Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India. Partnerships of this stature play a vital role in strengthening the foundation of the Tour, enhancing opportunities for our players, and expanding the sport’s reach across the country.”
Professional Golf Tour of India CEO Amandeep Johl added, “Axis Bank’s strong legacy of excellence, innovation, and nationwide reach aligns perfectly with DP World PGTI’s goal to elevate professional golf in India and provide greater opportunities for our players.”
In a sport where every stroke counts and every partnership drives distance, Axis Bank isn’t just backing golfers, it’s investing in the fairway to future, turning India’s greens into a stage where precision meets passion and every drive has the power to inspire.
