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CG Foods launches Wai Wai instant noodle in India
MUMBAI: ‘Munch it, lunch it, soup it.’ That’s the tagline of Wai Wai, an instant noodle product, which has launched in India.
Wai Wai will be stepping into the instant noodle market which is currently estimated at Rs 4 billion. It can be eaten in three ways: straight out of the pack, cooked, or even as a soup. It brings in two variants – Wai Wai Brown (veg and non-veg), priced at Rs10 and Wai Wai white (veg and non-veg) at Rs11.
CG Foods India, a subsidiary of a US$ 300 million Cinnovation Group, is bringing Wai Wai into India. CG has a technical collaboration with Chaudhary Group of Nepal.
Commenting on the company’s entry into the Indian instant noodle market, Chaudhary Group director Nirvana Chaudhary said, “Our decision to enter India was driven by two factors: Firstly, our ability to offer value-added instant noodles to consumers, which can be eaten straight out of the pack or cooked or even as a soup and expanding the choice set of instant noodles available. Secondly, the category offers a tremendous growth opportunity as processed food accounts for 53 per cent of the total food consumption in the country. We aim to reach Rs 3 billion landmark and establish CG Foods as the 2nd largest noodle brand in the next 3 years.”
The noodle market is driven by taste, convenience, affordability and availability, states an official release. CG Foods India is setting up two manufacturing units in Sikkim and Uttaranchal, with an investment of around Rs 400 million to manufacture Wai Wai and other snack foods like potato chips and cheese balls in technical collaboration with Chaudhary Group of Nepal.
Each of these facilities will be spread over an area of 5-6 acres and have a production capacity of 10,000MT each. The new facilities will help the company cater to the entire north-east, north, west and east Indian region.
The company has earmarked an advertising budget of Rs 600 million, which will include electronic, outdoor and print media to create visibility and awareness for Wai Wai noodles in India.
Commenting on the marketing strategy for Wai Wai noodles CG Foods India CEO T K Gupta said, “Wai Wai noodles will target the in-home consumption category. The noodles will be marketed using both above the line advertising as well as a complete below the line programme that will ensure extensive consumer sampling and market demonstrations.”
CG Foods plans to have an initial network of 1000 distributors in the first year, spread across major town and cities in India. The group also plans to target 200,000 retail outlets across India, to gain a competitive edge by being efficient in the supply of their products to consumers and improve profitability, states the media release.
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Lessons from global media markets on building enduring content franchises
Rose Audio Visuals COO and CFO Mitesh Patel.
MUMBAI: The global media landscape has undergone a fundamental shift. Success today is no longer defined by a single hit show. It is defined by the ability to build intellectual property (IP) that travels, evolves, and compounds over time.
At Rose Audio Visuals, this shift is central to how we think about content pitching and creation. We are no longer in the business of just making shows. We are in the business of building IP ecosystems.
From Hits to Franchises
Globally, the most successful content is designed to extend beyond its first outing. It travels across: Seasons, Platforms (TV → OTT → Digital), Formats (series → spin-offs) Shows like Stranger Things and Money Heist are not just successful series they are multi-layered franchises with global recall, fan engagement, and long-term monetisation. The key learning is simple: If content cannot scale beyond one season or one platform, it remains a project not a franchise.
Local Stories, Global Impact
One of the most powerful global trends is the rise of culturally rooted storytelling. Platforms today reward local authenticity combined with universal emotion. Stories that are deeply regional are no longer limited by geography they are amplified by it. Consider the global impact of Squid Game or India’s own Sacred Games. The takeaway is clear: The more authentic the story, the greater its potential to travel if the emotion resonates universally.
Monetisation Begins After the First Window
A critical global learning is that the true value of content is not realised at launch, it is realised over time.
Strong franchises unlock multiple revenue streams: Licensing, International remakes, Brand integrations, Digital extensions , Events and immersive experiences
Global players like The Walt Disney Company have mastered this approach, turning content into long-term ecosystems that extend far beyond the screen.
The first window is just the beginning. The real value lies in what follows.
At Rose Audio Visuals, we increasingly evaluate projects not just on commissioning value, but on their long-term franchise potential.
The Rise of Creator-Led Franchises
An important global shift is the emergence of creator-led IP ecosystems.
Creators today are not just content producers they are building full-scale franchises across platforms, formats, and businesses.
A powerful example is MrBeast. What started as YouTube videos has evolved into: Multiple content formats, Global audience scale , Brand extensions and businesses, High-impact experiential content This is a fundamentally different model digital-first, audience-owned, and infinitely scalable.
This model is still in its early stages in Indian but it represents a massive opportunity.
The next wave of Indian content franchises may not come from traditional studios alone but from creators who think like media companies.
Balancing Data with Creative Instinct
Streaming platforms today are deeply data-driven. Data helps Identify emerging genres, Predict audience behaviour , Inform commissioning decisions However, global experience shows that data alone does not create hits. Data informs scale, but storytelling creates impact.
Talent is the Foundation of Franchises
Enduring franchises are rarely accidental they are built through long-term creative partnerships. Globally, there is a clear focus on nurturing Actors, Writter, Show runner and director. Franchises are not built on scripts alone they are built on creators. This is an area where we continue to invest deeply building long-term relationships with talent rather than project-based collaborations.
Multi-Platform Thinking from Day One
Content consumption today is inherently multi-platform. A successful show must be designed not just for its primary platform, but for: Short-form extensions, Social media amplification, Digital-first engagement. Every show today needs a second life beyond its original format.
India: A Market at an Inflection Point
India today stands at a unique moment in its content journey.
We are seeing significant opportunity in Regional markets (Telugu, Tamil, Marathi and others) Emerging formats such as micro-dramas, Scalable, franchise-driven fiction IP
India does not lack stories. What we have historically lacked is structured franchise thinking something that is now beginning to evolve.
The Way Forward
The biggest lesson from global markets is this: The future belongs to companies that do not chase hits, but systematically build franchises. Because while hits may deliver immediate success, franchises create long-term value, recall, and compounding growth.
At Rose Audio Visuals, this belief shapes how we develop, greenlight, and scale content across platforms.
For content companies today, the question is no longer “Will this show work?” It is: “Can this become a franchise?”
A Personal Note
Having worked across content, business, and strategy, one thing has become increasingly clear to me, the most valuable companies in our industry will not be those that create the most content, but those that create content that endures.
Building a franchise requires patience, conviction, and a long-term lens something that the industry is only now beginning to fully embrace.As we continue this journey at Rose Audio Visuals, our focus remains simple: to move from volume-driven creation to value-driven storytelling. Because in the end, stories may start conversations but franchises build legacies.
