Frooti and Appy fizz are like India’s go to beverage. It’s next to impossible if you never had it in your life. But have you ever wondered the people behind making his product a household name?
Frooti, a beverage with numerous “firsts,” is the first to upend the Indian beverage sector thanks to innovation. ‘On-the-go’ was initially popularised by Frooti, who was the first brand to be offered in Tetra Pak in India. It was the first company to introduce both the PET bottle and the TCA Tetra Pak. Parle Agro preserved the famous mango drink in India’s market and made it available to customers all over the country with these inventive packaging improvements.
Today, Parle Agro boasts a range of popular products, but Frooti remains their flagship, accounting for over 48% of total sales. Their mission is to make Parle Agro a Rs 20,000 crore company by 2030.
Behind this revolution in the Indian beverage market, is the two extraordinary sisters, Nadia and Schauna Chauhan, who have emerged as trailblazers. With their strategic vision and complementary skills, they took Parle Agro to great heights. this is a story of how a 17-year old women with a vision created a disruption in the Indian beverage market.
Nadia currently serves as the Chief Marketing Officer & Joint Managing Director of Parle Agro – one of India’s top FMCG companies.
This is the story Nadia Chauhan—the vision behind Frooti
From legacy to leadership
Nadia Chauhan was born in California and brought up in Mumbai, and studied commerce at H. R. College. As the daughter of Prakash Chauhan, Parle Agro’s Chair, Nadia was destined continue her families legacy. But she wasn’t just someone born with a silver spoon. From a young age, she was exposed to the organisation’s operations and, inevitably, took an official position with Parle Agro in 2003 at the age 17.
Born into a business family of Chauhans, Nadia had business in her genes as she drew passionate about it since a very young age. She enjoyed entering the company campus spending a lot of time there during her school days and was nurtured by her father eventually in the fields she showed interest in.
The story goes back to way back to 1929, when Nadia’s great-grandfather Mohanlal Chauhan founded the Parle Group in and by 1959 the company began manufacturing beverages. You won’t believe, but Thums Up, Limca, Gold Spot, Citra and Maaza were part of the company, which then passed on to Jayantilal’s two sons Ramesh and Nadia’s father Prakash. (Biscuit empire Parle Products, best known for Parle-G, is run by the siblings’ cousin brother Sharad Chauhan.)
How did Nadia Chauhan brought this disruption?
When Nadia Chauhan joined Parle Agro as a 17-year-old in 2003, she observed that the company heavily relied on a single product, Frooti, which accounted for 95% of its sales. Recognizing the need for diversification, Nadia set out to redefine the company’s trajectory. Her first step was to articulate a clear vision that provided direction to the entire organization. This empowered the team to work towards a common goal and increased the company’s sales from Rs 300 crore and furthering it to a staggering Rs 8,000 crore now. Frooti’s dominance reduced to 48%, and their other products even packaged water (Bailey) has now become a Rs 1,000 crore business. Parle Agro doubled its turnover to Rs 5,000 crore over the past years.
After that other frooti products joined the legacy. With brand ambassador Alia Bhatt adorning hoardings, purple bottle in hand, Frooti Fizz has been growing at a fast clip; and it reported revenues of Rs 1,604 crore in the fiscal year ended March 2017, to undertake a large-scale production capacity increase for next year.
Launching Appy Fizz
Nadia’ brain child- Appy fizz as we all know was an instant success. Before Appy Fizz, in the packaged format, the apple juice category was not available in Indian market. From a technology and manufacturing point of view, it was huge innovation and took its time to make a mark. Nadia’s keen understanding of the market led her to launch Appy Fizz in 2005, a decision that proved to be a game-changer. This innovative and refreshing fizzy apple drink struck a chord with consumers and became an instant hit. With Appy Fizz’s success, Parle Agro gained further momentum, expanding its reach and establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with in the Indian beverage industry.
Appy Fizz has since it’s launch had a growth rate of 70% and of CAGR of 36%. The FMCG giant has gone from Rs 250 crore to Rs 5,000 crore in almost one and a half decades.
Revolutionizing the Beverage Industry with R&D
You might have seen many products some and go in the indian FMCG market. But in case of Frooti it doen’t seem to reach its maturing stage. But how did Nadia Chauhan managed to keep frooti relavent all these years?
Nadia kept doing the market research which revealed that Frooti was losing its relevance in a competitive market and was being perceived as a traditionalist brand. In 2005, she took a calculated risk and decided to change Frooti’s iconic green-coloured packaging to yellow for improved visibility and break free from its ‘kid-centric’ tag.
But she didn’t stop here. In 2015, she by re-launching the brand in a completely different identity – right from its packaging and appearance to advertising and product formulation which worked well and gave Frooti a massive boost in the share market.
Schauna and Nadia: A Perfect Partnership:
Behind Parle Agro’s success lies a perfect partnership between the Chauhan sisters. Schauna, the eldest, spearheads the company’s manufacturing, compliance, quality, finance, and technical functions. Meanwhile, Nadia, the youngest, takes charge of strategy, sales and marketing, and research and development. Their division of responsibilities based on their areas of strength has allowed them to propel Parle Agro to new heights. Together, they form a dynamic duo that has disrupted the industry and positioned Parle Agro as a formidable player in the market.
In the male-dominated business world, there are individuals who challenge the status quo, shatter glass ceilings, and carve their own paths. Nadia Chauhan, the dynamic leader and joint managing director of Parle Agro, is one such remarkable woman. With her relentless determination, innovative thinking, and commitment to social causes, Chauhan has not only transformed her family’s company but has also become an icon of female empowerment in the Indian beverage industry.
