The health food drink market in India is approx. 300,000 MT per annum and is growing at the rate of around 15% per annum. The health food drinks are popularly used as a milk additive for better nutrition and taste. Health Food Drinks are added to the diet to boost overall health and energy; to provide immune system support and reduce the risks of illness and age-related conditions; to improve performance in athletic and mental activities; and to support the healing process during illness. However, most of these products are treated as food and not regulated as drugs are. Most of the Health Food Drinks in India are Malted Food Drinks. The Malted Food Drink is a sub category of the Health Food Drink in India.
These drinks are purely natural with no side-effects and are good for human health. These drinks are well suited for kids, youngsters, adults, women (both pregnant and non-pregnant) and practically everyone.
Horlicks came to India with the British Army; the end of World War I saw Indian soldiers of British Indian Army bringing it back with them as a dietary supplement. Punjab, Bengal and Madras Presidencies became early adopters of Horlicks and many well-to-do Indians took to drinking Horlicks as a family drink in early 1940s and 1950s. It became a sort of status symbol in upper middle class Indians and rich classes. The first flavour available in India, as in Britain, was malt.
India, where it has traditionally been marketed as The Great Family Nourisher, is the largest market for Horlicks. The Indian formulation for Horlicks is slightly different than in most other countries, as there it is manufactured from buffalo milk rather than cow’s milk due to cultural concerns. In 2003, the brand underwent a revamp which led to the introduction of new flavours such as vanilla, toffee, chocolate, honey, and elaichi (cardamom). The current line-up of flavours includes original (malt), chocolate and elaichi. with the latest offering Horlicks Kesar Badaam added recently to the portfolio, providing a more specialized taste offering to the consumers. Any entrepreneur venture into this field will be successful.
Few Indian Major Players are as under
· Abbott Healthcare Pvt. Ltd.
· Glaxosmithkline Consumer Healthcare Ltd.
· Gujarat Co-Op. Milk Mktg. Fedn. Ltd.
· Heinz India Pvt. Ltd.
· Mondelez India Foods Pvt. Ltd.
· Wockhardt Ltd.
· Zydus Wellness Ltd.
