As lifestyles change, Bunge gives Dalda a ‘health’ makeover

Dalda, the almost-generic brand from the Bunge stable, is going for a complete rejig.
The 75-year-old vanaspati brand once owned by Hindustan Lever is all set to unveil a new look to keep in line with contemporary lifestyle changes and compete in the fast growing packaged edible oil market.

The new look and contemporary brand logo has been designed by Shombit Sengupta, who has redesigned some of the biggest international and national brands. Videh Kr Jaipuriar, vice-president, foods business, Bunge India Pvt Ltd, said, “This is a big change in the history of the brand, which we internally studied for the last three years. Dalda has earned respect because of its quality and consistency apart from the nostalgic platform.”

“However, there has sometimes been a feeling that the brand is identified more with vanaspati and is not a healthy product. We needed to reconnect with today’s generation. Hence, we needed to convert the edible oil portfolio without losing trust.”

“But this was not only a facial change in package graphics but a product upgradation as well. Hence we introduced the ‘husband’s choice’ subheading for all our non-vanaspati oils, which include mustard, soyabean and sunflower oils,” he said.

Bunge India, a 100% subsidiary of the US-based Bunge, is a market leader in vegetable oil (vanaspati) with brand Dalda. Its edible oils also sell under the Dalda brand. Edible oil consumption in India at present is about 14.5 million tonnes and is expected to grow to 20 million tonnes by 2015. The branded edible oil segment is growing by 11%, which is indicative of increasing number of players making an entry.

Currently, almost 40% of Bunge India’s portfolio is edible oils and the balance vanaspati. “In two years both categories would contribute equally. Currently, our market share is 2% which we intend to double in a couple of years. We are, however, the leading players in the soyabean oil market. Given the 25% growth at present we should end this fiscal with a turnover of Rs 1,800 crore,” Jaipuriar said.