MAM
Frito Lay to focus on UP; leverage brand ambassador Kaif
MUMBAI: Snack manufacturer Frito-Lay India (part of Pepsico India) has formed clear cut strategies in order to make a dent in the lucrative north India market. Frito-Lay India director sales Sanjay Warke was quoted as saying that that Uttar Pradesh (UP) will be the focus of its expansion strategy. The company has developed a new multimedia ad campaign which will be launched in India’s most populous state.
The company has decided that the best way for the brand to forge an emotional bond with the youth is to use celebrity endorsements and rope in people perceived as role models. Keeping that in mind the brand has roped in Bollywood hunk Saif Ali Khan and the new Indian cricketer on the block Mohammed Kaif who hails from UP as their brand ambassadors.
Kaif was in Lucknow to declare the winners of the Lay’s-Radio City contest being run in the city between 31 March and 2 April. The winners got the opportunity to meet Kaif in person and to have lunch with him.
Warke was quoted as saying: “UP accounted for eight per cent of Lays sales in 2002. As a marked gesture of our appreciation, we have decided to keep the north Indian consumer at the centre of our plans for Frito-Lay India. Our plan is to catapult Lay’s to a mega snack brand status amongst the youth in UP and we intend to capture 10 per cent market share of the branded salties market in UP.”
Frito-Lay India is also looking at strengthening its hold in north India by improving distribution and ensuring consistent quality. It will continue to invest in North Indian media to increase brand awareness and equity. Lay’s potato chips are available in five variants – Classic Salted, Magic Masala, American Style Cream and Onion, Spanish Tomato Tango and the latest launch – Saif & Kaif Hot and Sweet Chilli Carribean Style.
Brands
AI becomes key tool for Indian travellers, Agoda report finds
68 per cent plan to use AI for trips as 33 per cent already rely on it.
MUMBAI: Holiday planning is getting a software upgrade less “Where should we go?” and more “What does the algorithm say?” Indian travellers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to map their journeys, with new data from Agoda’s 2026 Travel Outlook Report suggesting that AI is fast becoming central to how trips are imagined, planned and booked.
While 33 per cent of respondents said they already use AI tools for travel planning, a far larger 68 per cent indicated they are likely to rely on it for their next trip pointing to a sharp acceleration in adoption in a market already comfortable with digital-first travel.
What travellers want from AI, however, goes well beyond basic search. The report shows 38 per cent are looking for recommendations on local attractions and activities, while 37 per cent expect personalised itineraries. Destination discovery remains a key use case at 29 per cent, with dining suggestions (23 per cent) and budget management (22 per cent) also emerging as practical applications.
The shift reflects a broader change in expectations AI is no longer a novelty but a planning companion expected to work across every stage of the journey, from inspiration to execution.
Trust levels appear to be keeping pace. Nearly 88 per cent of respondents said they either trust or feel neutral about AI-generated recommendations, including 53 per cent who expressed clear confidence. This builds on earlier trends, with Agoda’s 2025 survey showing nine in ten Indian travellers already using apps to book travel suggesting AI adoption is more evolution than disruption.
The company has been testing this appetite through initiatives such as its 2025 AI-powered Vacation Planner campaign, which generated customised itineraries and visuals based on user inputs, delivered with a layer of celebrity-led engagement.
For platforms like Agoda, which aggregates more than 6 million properties, over 130,000 flight routes and 300,000 travel activities, AI offers a way to navigate scale without overwhelming users turning abundance into relevance.
As AI continues to embed itself into everyday decision-making, India is emerging as a market where travel planning is not just going digital, but decisively intelligent.
