free products are a new driver for growth of confectionery business in Europe. Do you expect a similar trend in India?
A. I think it will be too early to make a comparison with Europe or the western world as those markets are far more mature than ours. The whole idea of health-consciousness and sugar-free products is far more developed in the western world. Having said that, I also foresee growth in this segment in India even if not at the rate at which it has been growing in the European markets. The reason for my belief is that Indian consumers are also becoming more health-conscious these days, especially the new generation consumers. There will be an increasing number of product alternatives in the sugar-free product category in the near future. In addition, the government has also waived the restriction on using artificial sweeteners candies. Now with the new rules, there will be more number of products and brands in this category. And, needless to say, there will be more sugar free products coming in from Perfetti’s basket as well.
