With the increasing focus on health and nutrition today, the Netherlands-headquartered health, nutrition and bioscience company DSM is redirecting its efforts in the domain of human nutrition and care. To find out more about the company’s plans for the Indian market, nuFFooDS Spectrum spoke to Anand Diwanji, Business Director, South Asia- Health, Nutrition and Care, DSM
What are the new initiatives for the Indian market?
India has always been a key market for DSM, where we have put into focus challenges that threaten the health and nutrition of the vulnerable population and bring them sustainable solutions. To cater to a geography which believes to derive its nutrition majorly from food, we have innovated a solution to fortify the staples. More than half of the Indian population consumes rice as a part of their daily meal. Our solution, Fortified Rice Kernel delivers essential micronutrients to the consumers without having to change their dietary behaviours. Another dietary habit commonly identified in the Indian population is vegetarianism, which made them retract from consuming Omega-3, even when prescribed due to fishy smell. We developed a product life’s DHA, a plant source Omega-3 that delivers the benefits of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) fatty acids in a single, quality source. Immunity, too, is a top priority for consumers today. These innovative solutions are available to be adopted for the Indian market. To help streamline the concept-to-consumer process, DSM now also offers science backed, Market Ready Solutions, so our customers can bring purpose-led solutions to market faster.
Any new launches in the food ingredients space?
We have designed our portfolio of Health Benefit Solutions with consumer-centric data, intended to help us launch products that deeply resonate with our consumers, under- Targeted Health, Lifestyle Essentials and Lifestyle categories, giving our partners or associates an edge in the global marketplace.
With DSM’s emphasis on human nutrition and care, we are driven to formulate solutions that can prevent nutritional inequalities and undertake collaborations that serve the best interests of our consumers. DSM’s focus is on nutrient-rich foods, ranging from micronutrient powders to fortified rice, addressing hidden hunger, a dietary issue that leads to micronutrient deficiencies due to a nutrient-poor diet.
How receptive is the Indian market when it comes to food ingredients?
The pandemic has raised a sustained awareness and consciousness about preventive health and holistic wellbeing among the Indian population. According to market research insights, 75 per cent Indians agree that consuming vitamins, minerals and supplements (VMS) regularly, helps them achieve overall health and wellness. In fact, more than three-fourths (76 per cent) Indian consumers agree that VMS can provide necessary nutrition missing in one’s diet and for 37 out of 50 Indians, regular consumption of VMS helps in preventing illnesses and diseases. This is a big shift in perception for conservative markets like India. As consumer behaviour inclines towards the acceptance of emerging solutions along with the overall growing emphasis on health, the scope for DSM’s accessible, affordable and healthy nutrition solutions widens, paving way for more high-performing solutions to be introduced to the Indian market.
What are the growth prospects for the APAC region?
South Asia is an emerging market with a large customer pool, paving the way for the introduction of innovative and unique solutions that enhance the impact of our efforts for our consumers. With increased awareness towards preventive health and the expanding purchasing power among the Indian consumers, they are now open to explore and adopt new and innovative solutions that are working for the west or prevalent globally. This can be well verified by the consumer behaviour data sets and the industrial growth patterns for the supplement market that has been observed over time. From a regulatory perspective, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has introduced regulations which have enhanced the country’s overall regulatory environment, introducing stricter guidelines, which in turn, will give international brands the opportunity to enter the Indian functional food market. In addition, we have solutions in our portfolio to help combat the existing micronutrient deficiencies. This has helped expand the growth of our portfolio by advancing the scope of our global yet localised solutions.
What are the challenges faced while catering to the rural markets?
Catering to the rural market is not only a necessity but also part of our brand’s purpose. To be able to service this market, DSM has designed a segment called Nutrition Improvement which focuses on providing better nutrition to the less privileged. This segment is uniquely placed to work closely with the government, development partners, and similar organisations to take the innovative solutions to consumers at the bottom of the pyramid.
However, each market possesses its own challenges. Housing more than 65 per cent of the population, rural India doesn’t only exceed urban in population numbers but also the rate of malnutrition. Taking example of our solution fortified rice kernels, lack of consumer awareness, lower purchasing power in rural population and lastly accessibility gap has been the observed roadblocks in curbing these challenges with our innovative solutions. To combat malnutrition, the government has also rolled out various food aid schemes, but to serve this large percentage of the population there might be a need to introduce stringent guidelines to adhere to quality checks that are critical to win and serve the purpose of addressing this market. DSM aims to assist these schemes by improving the quality of the consumption to fulfill the nutritional requirements of the population. However, as a purpose-led, performance-driven and science-based brand, we ensure that we are backed by our strong understanding of the market and consumers so that our solutions are successfully able to deliver the promise of quality, nutrition and brighter lives for all.
What will be your plans five years down the line?
Moving further, our plans are to innovate, grow and build strong partnerships and create a wider impact. To be able to achieve so, we are extensively working towards our nutrition improvement programmes working towards expanding the reach of our Staple Food Fortification solutions through our customers and partners. Understanding the critical need for early life nutrition, we are committed to deliver high-quality, insight-driven, innovative nutritional solutions at every stage of child’s growth and mother’s nutrition through Health Benefit Solutions.
Another aspect DSM very keenly supports is enabling the right nutritional care in a timely manner to champion the health of patients and elderly individuals, reducing medical complications and promoting recovery and independence. Through our broad portfolio of science-backed customised solutions supporting medical nutrition, we aspire to be a preferred partner to meet the ever-evolving and complex nutritional needs of patients and the elderly.
Lastly, for greater impact, DSM is looking forward to building stronger partnerships that are supportive in tackling challenges like malnutrition together, because nutrition is an aspect that requires a partner more than just ingredients.
Sanjiv Das
(sanjiv.das@mmactiv.com)