Grilling is thrilling

Has the smell of lamb chops and burger patties wafting in from your neighbour’s become more frequent of late? If both Indian and foreign kitchenware makers such as TTK Prestige, UC Products, and Weber-Stephen Barbecue Products are to be believed, barbecue grill sales are hotting up (the market is growing between 20% and 30% annually). “Five years ago, we would sell fewer than 200 grills a year. Now, it’s between 10,000 and 15,000,” says Chandru Kalro, TTK’s chief operating officer. That’s because more people are getting exposed to different lifestyles and ways of cooking as they travel abroad. Dattaprasad Joshi, the owner of UC Products, points to demand soaring during May and June. “These are holiday months for schools and colleges, and barbecues are a great way of spending quality time with the family.” A considerable chunk of UC’s demand comes from tier III cities. That’s just natural for a country hooked to all things tandoori.