PepsiCo India has expanded its Better for You snacking portfolio with the launch of Quaker Protein Ladooz and Quaker Protein Chikki Bites, taking the brand beyond breakfast into everyday Indian snacking.
Priced at Rs 10 per pack, the range features Rose Dry Fruit Ladooz and Ragi Choco Chikki Bites, combining oats, 12% protein and high fibre in familiar formats. The products contain no artificial flavours or palm oil and will be available through general trade across India.
The launch draws on findings from The State of Protein & Fibre in Urban India, a study conducted by PepsiCo India in collaboration with Euromonitor International and the Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR). The study examined consumer awareness, understanding and consumption of protein and fibre, as well as barriers to meeting daily nutritional requirements.
Surveying 1,250 consumers across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Kochi, the study found that 70% of respondents consumed less than 41g of protein daily, while 61% fell short of their recommended daily fibre intake. Affordability was another barrier, with 60% citing the high cost of protein-rich foods as a challenge.
However, demand for accessible nutrition remains strong. According to the findings, 89% of Gen Z, millennial and Gen X respondents wanted protein to be available in more familiar, everyday food formats. The findings point to an opportunity for brands to address nutritional gaps through products that align with existing food preferences and budgets.
Commenting on the launch, Saakshi Verma Menon, Chief Marketing Officer – Foods, PepsiCo India, said, “At PepsiCo India, we are evolving our Foods portfolio to meet the changing needs of consumers and offer greater choice across snacking occasions. Better-for-You innovation is a key part of this journey. Our consumer insights, reinforced by our research on protein and fibre intake trends, point to an opportunity to make these ingredients more accessible and easier to incorporate into everyday diets. With Quaker® Protein Ladooz and Chikki Bites, we are bringing together the nutritional benefits of oats with much-loved Indian snacking formats, making nutrition more relevant in snacking rituals. This advances our ambition to democratize protein and fibre by bringing together familiarity, convenience and affordability. As we continue to strengthen our portfolio, our focus remains on creating innovations that respond to evolving consumer needs and make better choices accessible to more Indians.”
Sriram Iyer, Marketing Director – Quaker®, PepsiCo India, said, “Quaker® has long been synonymous with the goodness of oats in India, and with this launch it is bringing its trusted nutrition credentials to the snacking category. Ladoo and chikki are formats Indians already enjoy and understand, making them a natural canvas for us to bring together oats, protein and fibre in a familiar and enjoyable way. Our new campaign brings this proposition alive through a daily dilemma – why should choosing nutrition mean compromising on taste? With Protein Ladooz and Chikki Bites, we are excited to expand the role Quaker® can play in consumers’ lives and begin a new chapter for the brand in India.”
Quaker’s latest offerings aim to meet this demand by incorporating protein and fibre into traditional Indian snack formats rather than requiring consumers to adopt unfamiliar eating habits. To support the launch, the brand has also unveiled a television commercial set on a college campus. The film follows two friends taking a break between classes, with one appearing to swipe left on potential dating matches on her phone. The scene reveals that she is actually rejecting snack options that force a choice between taste and nutrition.
Her friend introduces Quaker Protein Ladooz and Chikki Bites as an alternative, using humour to communicate the proposition that consumers should not have to compromise on taste to make more nutritious snacking choices. With the new range, PepsiCo India is looking to extend Quaker’s presence beyond breakfast by bringing its nutritional proposition to everyday snacking occasions through familiar flavours and an accessible price point.
