Strengthening farm to fork integration will remain central: Ekansh Garg, Co-founder, Cravicious Foods

Greater Noida-based Cravicious Foods, a bootstrapped frozen foods manufacturer, is focused on delivering clean-label frozen food solutions across both B2C and B2B segments. The company integrates advanced manufacturing, stringent quality controls, and a farm-to-fork sourcing approach to cater to modern consumers across retail, quick-commerce, and HORECA channels. In an interaction with NUFFOODS Spectrum India, Ekansh Garg, Co-founder of Cravicious Foods, shares insights into the evolving frozen food industry in India and the company’s growth journey.

What is the current size and growth rate of the frozen food market in India?

The Indian frozen food category is at a pivotal inflection point where convenience is becoming a lifestyle choice rather than a compromise. As per IMARC’s assessment, the market is projected to reach around Rs 306.61 billion by 2027, growing at a strong CAGR of 16.2 percent between 2022 and 2027. This pace of growth signals a clear shift in consumer behaviour driven by urbanisation, dual income households and rising confidence in packaged food quality. What is equally encouraging is that this expansion is no longer confined to metro cities, with Tier II and Tier III markets also showing steady adoption as cold chain access improves. For brands like ours, this growth represents an opportunity to shape the category through clean label offerings, robust quality systems and scalable manufacturing that can serve evolving B2C and B2B demand across modern retail, HORECA and institutional foodservice and quick commerce platforms.

How has the demand for frozen foods evolved over the last 5-10 years?

Over the last decade the demand for frozen foods in India has shifted from a small niche category to a mainstream consumer choice driven by changes in lifestyles work dynamics and increasing trust in packaged food quality. Earlier frozen foods were seen as occasional convenience items primarily in metros, but over the last five years this perception has particularly changed with dual income households limited cooking time and greater exposure to global food habits.

Urban and increasingly non-urban consumers now seek consistent quality, hygiene and easy-to-prepare options that fit modern eating patterns without compromising nutrition or taste. Expansion of organised retail, improved cold chain infrastructure and the rise of quick commerce platforms have accelerated accessibility and trial. At Cravicious Foods we have witnessed this shift firsthand as consumer education grows and demand expands across snacks meals and category extensions in both retail and institutional segments.

What are the challenges faced by the frozen food market?

From where I see the market today, the challenges are as much about infrastructure as they are about perception. Cold chain reliability is still uneven, and even small temperature deviations during storage or transport can affect quality and shelf life. Reaching beyond large cities adds another layer of complexity because last mile distribution remains cost intensive and dependent on local capabilities. On the consumer side, there is still a mindset barrier around frozen food being equated with preservatives or compromised nutrition, which means trust has to be built steadily through transparency and quality. Regulatory compliance and multiple certification standards also require continuous investment in systems and people. At the same time, using good raw materials and clean label formulations while keeping prices accessible puts pressure on
operating margins, making efficiency and scale critical to sustainable growth.

Can you share your R&D initiatives being undertaken at your facility?

Our R&D work is deeply anchored in the agri and poultry expertise of the FeedPro Group, which backs Cravicious Foods and has built a fully integrated poultry ecosystem over more than a decade. Being part of this system and working closely with a network of over 300 farmers while handling 5 to 6 lakh birds every month allows us to study chicken quality, nutrition and behaviour at the farm level before it enters processing. These insights directly shape our work at the Greater Noida facility, where we focus on freeze stability, texture retention and flavour consistency across categories, supported by state of the art freezing technology and over 50 quality checks. We also invest heavily in shelf life optimisation through process discipline rather than additives, supported by continuous trials to ensure consistent performance across both B2C and B2B kitchens while maintaining clean label and safety standards at scale.

What kind of challenges you face while sourcing raw materials?

What works in our favour is that Cravicious Foods is backed by the FeedPro Group, which gives us deep control over poultry sourcing through a network of more than 300 farmers and large scale monthly bird handling. This structure significantly reduces our dependence on open market procurement and allows us to influence nutrition, rearing practices and hygiene right at the farm level instead of only at the factory gate. That kind of control is critical when you are building frozen food products that depend on consistency and safety. For other raw materials, we follow a similarly disciplined approach by working only with carefully vetted suppliers who meet our quality and sustainability expectations.

Multiple quality checks are built into the system before any ingredient enters production. Strong supplier partnerships combined with process control help us manage volatility and maintain product standards despite market fluctuations.

What will be your long term goals five year down the line?

Over the next five years, the focus is on building Cravicious Foods into a nationally recognised frozen foods company with strong positions across both consumer and foodservice segments. The priority will be to expand
manufacturing capacity and the product portfolio in a way that protects the clean label and quality standards we have built from the start. Strengthening farm to fork integration will remain central so that traceability and consistency continue to be core strengths even as volumes grow. There is also a clear opportunity to move into new protein and meal categories that match changing eating habits and the need for convenient, dependable food. On the market side, the plan is to deepen presence across modern retail, HORECA and institutional channels while selectively exploring international markets.

Any new frozen food launches in the pipeline?

We are actively working on expanding our range to keep pace with how consumers are eating today while staying true to our clean label and quality benchmarks. The pipeline includes new formats across both non vegetarian and vegetarian categories, with a strong focus on products that work for everyday snacking as well as complete meal solutions for home and foodservice use. A lot of this development is happening alongside the commissioning of our next manufacturing unit, which is scheduled to go live shortly and will immediately strengthen our production and quality capabilities with a 15 to 20 per cent increase in manpower. All potential launches go through rigorous trials at our facility to test freeze stability, texture and cooking performance in real world conditions. While specific products are still under wraps, the intent is to introduce offerings that add depth to our portfolio and serve both B2C and B2B demand more effectively.

What will be Cravicious Foods global expansion plans?

Global expansion is very much part of the long term vision, but it is being approached in a phased and disciplined way. The first priority is to strengthen our foundation in India by building scale, process maturity and brand credibility, because that is what makes international growth sustainable. With a manufacturing facility that is already aligned with global food safety standards like FSSAI, Halal, US FDA, HACCP and FSSC 22000, we are structurally prepared to serve export markets that value traceability and quality. The focus will be on regions with a strong Indian and South Asian consumer base as well as markets where frozen food penetration is high and clean label products are gaining relevance.

Sanjiv Das
sanjiv.das@mmactiv.com