The growing trend towards home-cooked meals amid the COVID-19 pandemic has fueled the demand for seasonings and sauces. Subsequently, India’s seasonings, dressings & sauces market is projected to grow from INR217bn ($2.9bn) in 2021 to INR290.6bn ($3.4bn) in 2026, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.0%, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s report, ‘India Seasonings, Dressings & Sauces – Market Assessment and Forecasts to 2026’, reveals that the market growth is mainly driven by the dressings category, which is forecast to register the fastest value CAGR of 11.2% during 2021–2026. The dressings category is followed by the wet cooking sauces category, which is forecast to register a CAGR of 10.1% over the same period.

Bhavin Naik, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, says: “In the backdrop of COVID-19, healthy diets have become a priority across all age groups, which is reflected in the growing consumer preference for seasonings, dressings & sauces with less sugar content. Moreover, as restrictions continue to be imposed on foodservice venues and public places, consumers began prepping and consuming meals and snacks at home, and resulted in boosted demand for seasonings, dressings & sauces.”

‘Hypermarkets & supermarkets’ was the leading distribution channel in the Indian seasonings, dressings & sauces market in 2021, followed by convenience stores, and food & drinks specialists.

Per capita expenditure of seasonings, dressings & sauces in India increased from $0.6 in 2016 to $1.1 in 2021 and is expected to reach $1.2 by 2026. It was lower compared to both the global ($11.4) and the regional ($7.4) levels.

​Tata Sons Limited, Unilever, and Nestlé were the top three companies in the Indian seasonings, dressings & sauces market by value in 2021, and Tata and Maggi were the leading brands.

Naik concludes: “Consumers have become increasingly aware of the health benefits and advantages of home-cooking, and they are relying on seasonings, dressings & sauces to make their meals and snacks more appetizing with less effort. These consumers are pressuring manufacturers to launch seasonings, dressings & sauces in easy-to-use formats, and with formulations that contain more natural ingredients, less added-sugar, and no chemical additives.”