KRBL, the parent company behind India Gate Basmati Rice, has officially forayed into the edible oil segment with the launch of India Gate Uplife, a new health-forward brand aimed at digestive wellness.
The brand's debut includes two blended oil variants: Uplife Weight Watchers and Uplife Gut Pro, marking KRBL’s intent to evolve into a multi-category, multi-brand FMCG player.
According to Ayush Gupta, India Business Head at KRBL, the Uplife brand will extend beyond oils into other health food categories over the next 2–3 years. “This is just the beginning,” he stated.
The Uplife Weight Watchers variant boasts benefits such as low oil absorption, reduced fat content, and is enriched with gamma oryzanol. On the other hand, Uplife Gut Pro is formulated to support digestion, reduce inflammation, and offer antioxidant benefits. Both variants are priced at a premium (Rs 190–Rs 199/litre), roughly 5–7% higher than category leader Saffola, as the brand positions itself in the blended health oils segment.
The brand has also launched “Go Less” squeezy bottle, a portion-controlled packaging solution designed for modern households where cooking duties are shared. The packaging is tailored to urban, health-conscious consumers seeking convenience without compromise.
To support this launch, KRBL also rolled out a new campaign for the product, emphasising the silent yet essential role of cooking oil in everyday urban life, tying it to ambition-driven hustle culture.
Kunal Sharma, Head of Marketing & Business (Modern Trade & E-commerce) at India Gate, revealed that the brand had a soft launch in March 2025 via e-commerce and modern trade. It is now expanding into general trade across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, with Bangalore next month.
For FY25, the company has set a revenue target of Rs 40–50 crore, with a longer-term goal of scaling the Uplife portfolio to Rs 200–300 crore.
Marketing efforts are largely digital-first, with 75–80% of the budget allocated to platforms like Meta and Google for precision targeting and regional outreach. The remaining 20–25% is earmarked for print, outdoor, and in-store branding to ensure strong visibility in retail spaces.
Entering a sunflower and soybean oil-dominant market, KRBL acknowledges the challenge of pushing rice bran blended oils but is focusing on the 10–20% of consumers in metros who put health first and taste second.
The oil launch is part of KRBL’s broader ambition to become a health-led FMCG player. The company is also preparing for entry into the staples category, using a structured framework that involves identifying white spaces, assessing category fit, evaluating margin potential, and ensuring it has the right to win in sourcing and distribution.
To manage innovation and speed to market, KRBL has established two product development pipelines, one for long-cycle, new category innovations and another for short-cycle product extensions that are quicker to launch.
