Stat: Junk food sales soar in India as industry turns to new markets

India – According to Bloomberg, regulations, greater public health awareness and the popularity of appetite-suppressing drugs have slowed sales of packaged and processed food and drinks in Western markets, leaving the junk food industry in need of a new frontier.

It has consequently turned to populous emerging economies such as India, threatening a national health crisis.

Sales of snacks and soft drinks have almost tripled in India in the past decade, exceeding £24.2bn ($30bn, €27.9bn) in 2022. Unilever, which produces items such as mayonnaise and ice cream, expects the country to become its largest source of revenue within a decade.

Although extreme hunger still affects much of India, the opposite problem is now also true. In the past three decades of swift economic development and urbanisation, the adult obesity rate has more than tripled. According to the World Obesity Federation, among children, the annual rise in India is the steepest in the world.

At LS:N Global we’re tracking how weight loss drugs are affecting indulgence across the globe. For more information, look out for our upcoming Weight Loss Market report.