India Gate RICE for Every Feast!

‘Your food, our Passion. Nurturing and Nourishing for a better you’ is the intent that drives KRBL Limited, the world’s largest miller and exporter of Basmati Rice, which exports 14 brands of basmati rice to over 90 countries and has achieved a turnover of INR 4,211 crores last year. Its flagship brand, India Gate has recently been recognized as the World’s No.1 Basmati Rice Brand.  With a rich legacy of 130- years, KRBL, a globally trusted brand, offers a range of quality products in basmati rice, non-basmati rice and health food segments that consists of Quinoa, Chia seeds, Flax seeds, and Brown rice. Every endeavour at KRBL is aimed at creating a sustainable future by making basmati rice affordable and accessible for the masses, while staying truly committed to providing safe and nutritious food. 

KRBL strengths

A market leader in the basmati rice segment, KRBL, has the largest rice milling capacity of 195 MT per hour, which is 100 percent integrated. Apart from two state-of-the-art manufacturing units and four technologically advanced packing units located strategically across India, the company has an edge over its competitors, basis their extensive supply chain presence of more than 500 distributors and over 3 lac retail outlets operating in more than 750 cities! Certified by FSSC 22000 issued by Eurofins, a globally recognized certification, it reiterates the company’s success in maintaining compliance with international standards.

Recently, India Gate, the flagship brand of KRBL, was recognised as the world’s no. 1 Basmati Rice brand, as per secondary Market Research Report, MAT June 2022 of “Mordor Intelligence”. India Gate Basmati Rice is aged to perfection, which makes the rice longer, fluffier, non- sticky and has an irresistible aroma. It has caught the fancy and taste buds of gourmets to propel a successful global consumer franchise, with exports to over 90 countries and sale of over 8 crore packs annually. 

As part of commitment to the environment and its stakeholders, the company also innovated to produce husk-fuelled power in its plants. Today, KRBL can process 1.4 MMT of paddy that equals to approx. 900,000 MT of rice, which amounts to approx. 43,000 containers in a year! 

“India Gate is working towards driving conversion from unbranded basmati rice to branded in the domestic market. The loose basmati segment is large in India with 65-70% of basmati still being sold loose. There is a well thought out strategy basis robust consumer and category insights that has been put in place to drive this conversion, which includes sharp consumer communication, aggressive retails footprint expansion to 5 lacs outlets, distributor expansion in lower-class population markets and scaling up digitization to accelerate efforts in the direction.” said Mr. Ayush Gupta, KRBL Business Head - India.

Champions of Sustainable Farming 

KRBL works closely with close to 1 lac farmers assisting them with technical expertise, on-farm support and financial security, for encouraging sustainability, to become India’s largest contract farming network for rice in the basmati producing belt of Punjab, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh. Farmers are educated on the reduced usage of chemicals to enhance product acceptability in the international markets.

KRBL invests liberally on research and development to produce better quality basmati rice seeds so that the product quality and health quotient of farm produce are ensured, besides the crops are high in pest and disease resistance. KRBL has signed an MOU with the Pusa Institute, an agriculture research institute of national prominence in Delhi, to develop genetically superior and better quality of seeds for the farmers.

The scale and capacity for storage and milling of paddy also makes KRBL the most reliable bet for the farming community and work together in a partnership of trust. A robust logistics and procurement system help the company to save on time, plan better logistically, and reduce environmental impact. When the farmlands and the farmers are in perfect health, the consumers benefit manifold, for which encouraging sustainable farming practices for reducing carbon footprint and safeguarding the planet’s well-being, is a commitment which the company deeply abides by. 

Meeting New Consumer Aspirations 

The Covid pandemic was a testing time for everyone including KRBL, which emerged wiser from the lessons it has taught everyone. So while constantly navigating the rapidly evolving situation during the pandemic, the company had to also cope with fast-changing consumer trends and delivery challenges across the globe. The demand for more nutritious food and the desire to live healthier lifestyles was much more than ever, where looking at brand label isn’t enough. This trend is primarily driven by Gen Z and millennials, who are sensitive to climate change, and wish to know exactly how their food got from the farm to their plate, to ensure that the products are eco-conscious. KRBL could satisfy such demanding consumer needs basis its responsible sourcing, which is very important and integral part of the company. In short, today’s consumers want companies to be more transparent about their supply chain and manufacturing processes.

Living up to its brand value, KRBL is constantly on its feet exploring new ways to satisfy evolving consumer needs about food and all aspects associated with it. Adopting smart strategies to explore, innovate and honouring brand promises has kept KRBL firmly ahead of the curve and in the industry sector that it dominates. With the strength and credibility of a global brand, KRBL has been able to stay relevant and reliable to its growing customer base, today and even tomorrow, enriching lives through the nutritional wonder of nature. 

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