The healthy living trend has gained traction in India due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and consumers have become more choosy about what they consume. While choosing other hot drinks products such as chocolate-based hot drinks and malt-based hot drinks, consumers are looking for health claims such as “low-sugar” and “immunity-boosting” for better health. Discussions on social media platforms regarding the sugar content are forcing manufacturers to pay attention to these health claims, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Recently, after a social media influencer called out ingredients in Cadbury’s Bournvita health-based drink as unhealthy due to the amount of sugar in it, consumers raised these issues on social media. Bournvita positions its product as an “immunity-boosting” product targeted towards children. This incident heightened awareness about reading the ingredients and claims on a product, as parents are seeking these products to maintain the nutritional requirements of their children.

Shraddha Shelke, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData comments: “In line with the health & wellness trend, consumers are looking for products with a positive influence on their health. According to GlobalData Q4 2022 Consumer Survey*, 79% of Indian consumers participating in the survey responded that they are always/often influenced by how the product impacts their health and well-being. In the same survey, 85% of consumers in India responded that they find products with features such as “good for physical fitness/health” as essential and nice to have.”

Unilever and Mondelēz International were the top two companies in India’s other hot drinks market in 2022. The top three leading brands in the Indian other hot drinks market were Horlicks, Bournvita, and Boost. Horlicks accounted for a market share of 5%, followed by Bournvita and Boost. Other popular brands among consumers include Zydus Wellness’s Complan and Nestlé’s Milo.

Francis Gabriel Godad, Consumer Business Development Manager at GlobalData, notes: “In the era of social media, consumer awareness is increasing, and companies will have to ensure that their claims are supported by the ingredients in their products. The recent viral video on Bournvita and its ingredients should be an eye-opener for companies to pay attention to the health & wellness trend.”

Shraddha concludes: “Manufacturers in the other hot drinks market space are likely to increase their spending on formulating drinks with “low-sugar” ingredients to attract health-conscious consumers. The other hot drinks market in India will see high penetration of health-based drinks in the upcoming years due to its popularity. Driven by the health & wellness trend, malt-based drinks will drive significant growth in the Indian other hot drinks market. As a result, the market will rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3% over 2022–27**.”

* GlobalData Q4 2022 Consumer Survey–India, with 554 respondents, published in November 2022

** GlobalData Consumer Intelligence Center ­– Market Analyzers, accessed in April 2023