ITC Limited, the maker of brands like Sunfeast and Aashirvaad, is set to expand its FoodTech business, which includes Aashirvaad Soul Creations, Sunfeast Baked Creations, and ITC Master Chef Creations, and is aiming to establish a pan-India presence within the next 3–5 years, according to Rohit Bhalla, FoodTech Business Head.

The company currently operates in south India and plans to scale operations region by region. “We have established reasonable penetration in the south and are gearing up to expand into the west, with plans to eventually scale across India,” Bhalla said. The company also looks to open its third Sunfeast Baked Creations Cafe in Bengaluru’s Jayanagar.

The FoodTech portfolio includes Aashirvaad Soul Creations, which offers homely north Indian cuisine. Additionally, ITC Master Chef Creations provides gourmet north Indian dishes. The company’s café business, Sunfeast Baked Creations, follows a “baker-first” approach, extending the cloud kitchen philosophy into café operations.

Highlighting the sector’s potential, Bhalla noted that the Indian food service market is valued at ₹5.5 lakh crore. The food delivery segment alone is estimated at $8–9 billion and is projected to grow to $35–40 billion by 2030, according to industry reports. The company targets strong long-term potential in this space, added Bhalla.

Tapping into synergies

ITC FoodTech Business is leveraging its established FMCG brands—Aashirvaad, Sunfeast, and ITC Masterchef—to create fresh culinary offerings tailored to the food delivery and café markets, said Rohit Bhalla. The company’s cloud kitchen operations, launched in 2021, currently operate 40 kitchens across Bengaluru (21), Chennai (9), and Hyderabad (7–8).

FoodTech initially focused on south India, identifying a significant gap in the availability of high-quality north Indian cuisine in the region. “The south was a strategic starting point due to the unmet demand for north Indian cuisine, which we found through extensive market research,” Bhalla addded.

The company’s foray into cafés through Sunfeast Baked Creations aligns with its broader strategy, he stated. Unlike conventional coffee-first models, Sunfeast Baked Creations takes a “baker-first” approach, extending the culinary philosophy of ITC’s cloud kitchens. “This is a natural progression of our cloud kitchen business,” Bhalla said.