Brands
Snacks outpace beverages in India’s out-of-home consumption market
Packaged munchies hold firm as leading drink brands see widespread declines
NEW DELHI: It is snack time for India’s out-of-home market, but packaged beverages are finding the going rather flat.
The latest Brand Footprint India 2026 report by Worldpanel by Numerator shows a clear split in consumer choices outside the home. Packaged snacks are holding their ground, with several brands recording growth, while leading packaged beverage brands have seen their consumer reach points (CRPs) fall.
Britannia retained the top spot in the overall out-of-home rankings with 619 million CRPs, although its reach fell 6 per cent year on year.
Balaji Snacks ranked second with 499 million CRPs, down 2 per cent, while Haldiram’s took third place with 476 million CRPs, up 4 per cent. Cadbury followed in fourth with 450 million CRPs, down 2 per cent.
Amul made a notable jump into the top five with 281 million CRPs, despite a 5 per cent decline.
The rest of the top 10 remained firmly snack-led. Lay’s ranked sixth with 277 million CRPs, up 1 per cent, followed by Parle Products at 265 million CRPs, down 11 per cent.
Kurkure came eighth with 213 million CRPs, up 1 per cent, while Bingo! and Sunfeast rounded out the top 10 with 165 million and 156 million CRPs, respectively.
Further down the rankings, smaller snack brands posted some of the strongest gains. A-One surged 50 per cent to 104 million CRPs and moved to 11th place. KitKat climbed 26 per cent to 78 million CRPs, taking 13th place, while Crax grew 19 per cent to 66 million CRPs and ranked 14th.
The beverage market, meanwhile, was decidedly less bubbly.
All five leading OOH beverage brands recorded declines. Amul Beverages retained the top position with 62 million CRPs, but fell 10 per cent.
Thums Up ranked second with 58 million CRPs, down 7 per cent, followed by Frooti with 55 million CRPs, also down 7 per cent. Sprite recorded 49 million CRPs, down 8 per cent.
Maaza saw the steepest fall among the top five, declining 16 per cent to 39 million CRPs.
The divergence points to changing habits around on-the-go consumption. Packaged snacks can offer an inexpensive, portable and mess-free option, particularly through low-priced Rs 5 and Rs 10 packs. Beverages, meanwhile, face competition from fresh juices, tea vendors and other local alternatives, alongside quick-commerce deliveries to homes and workplaces.
For FMCG brands, the message is increasingly clear: winning the out-of-home consumer is not simply about being available at the right location. Affordability, convenience and immediate gratification are becoming just as important.
As consumers continue to eat on the move, India’s OOH market appears to be giving snacks a bigger bite of the action, while packaged beverages struggle to keep pace.
