ITC Master Chef serves convenience with ‘Har Roz Kuch Special’

MUMBAI: Dinner dilemmas are getting a freezer-to-fryer makeover. ITC Master Chef is betting big on the idea that everyday meals no longer need to feel everyday, rolling out a new campaign that turns routine kitchen moments into restaurant-style indulgences, minus the marathon cooking session.

The frozen foods brand has launched two new television commercials under its latest proposition, ‘Har Roz Kuch Special’, positioning ready-to-cook meals as the modern shortcut to flavour-packed dining at home. And in a world where time is short but cravings are long, the pitch lands right where today’s consumers live somewhere between convenience and comfort food.

The campaign taps into a growing behavioural shift among urban Indian households, where quick-prep meals are increasingly replacing elaborate cooking routines without compromising on taste. With hybrid work schedules, hectic lifestyles and shrinking kitchen patience becoming the norm, frozen foods are quietly moving from “backup option” to everyday staple.

ITC Master Chef’s latest films lean directly into that reality.

The first TVC opens with a familiar domestic scene: the kind where dinner feels less like an event and more like another task on an endless checklist. Enter ITC Master Chef Chicken Seekh Kebab, which quickly transforms the ordinary spread into a restaurant-style meal experience. The twist is not just in the taste, but in the ease — the kebabs are shown being prepared with minimal effort while still delivering the indulgence associated with dine-out meals.

The second film shifts gears into a more spontaneous household setting, where the pressure to serve “something different” becomes the central tension. Here too, frozen snacks become the culinary escape hatch, helping the protagonist whip up a quick gourmet-style spread in minutes.

Together, the films avoid dramatic advertising theatrics and instead focus on relatability, a deliberate move as brands increasingly compete to own authentic everyday moments rather than aspirational fantasy alone.

The campaign also subtly mirrors changing kitchen habits among younger consumers. Air fryers, microwaves and ovens make repeated appearances across the films, reflecting how modern Indian kitchens are rapidly evolving beyond traditional stovetop cooking.

That evolution is becoming increasingly important for food brands.

Frozen food consumption in India has steadily expanded over the last few years, fuelled by rising disposable incomes, busier urban lifestyles and growing acceptance of convenience-led cooking. Consumers are no longer viewing frozen snacks purely as party appetisers or occasional treats. Instead, they are becoming integrated into daily meal routines across both vegetarian and non-vegetarian households.

ITC appears keen to position Master Chef squarely within that shift.

Ashu Phakey, vice president and business head, frozen and fresh foods at ITC Limited, said the campaign aims to expand the role of frozen foods beyond occasional consumption into everyday meal occasions.

The company is also pushing versatility as a key selling point. The campaign highlights multiple preparation methods including air frying, microwaving, oven cooking and traditional frying, a nod to consumers increasingly seeking flexibility without complexity.

Beyond the convenience narrative, the films also tap into another powerful emotional trigger: the desire to make ordinary moments feel special.

And that may be the campaign’s smartest ingredient.

At a time when consumers are overwhelmed by hyper-polished food content online, the idea of effortlessly creating “good enough to impress” meals at home carries strong emotional appeal. The ads position frozen food not as a compromise, but as an enabler of small everyday wins, the kind modern households increasingly value.

The broader frozen foods category is witnessing heightened competition as brands race to capture younger consumers looking for speed, consistency and variety. For companies like ITC, the challenge is no longer convincing people to try frozen foods, but convincing them to make them part of their regular lifestyle.

With ‘Har Roz Kuch Special’, ITC Master Chef seems to be making a clear play for exactly that space, where convenience meets comfort, and weekday dinners get a little less predictable.