SUMMER TRAINING PROJECT REPORT

ON
MARKET SURVEY OF READY TO EAT FOOD
PRODUCTS OF INDUSTRY

SUBMITTED TO

JEEVANDEEP INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND

TECHNOLOGY
(AFFILIATED TO Dr. A. P. J. ABDUL KALAM TECHNICAL
UNIVERSITY, LUCKNOW)

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE

AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

SUBMITTED TO: - SUBMITTED BY:-

Mr. ABHISHEK KR. PANDEY ASHUTOSH RAI
(ASSISTANT PROFESSOR) ROLL NO. - 1517970007
MBA 3RD SEMESTER

1
2
CERTIFICATE OF THE INSTITUTE

3
 Declaration

We undersigned Ashutosh Rai a students of MBA 3rd

semester declare that we have prepared this project report
on MARKET SURVEY OF READY TO EAT FOOD
PRODUCTS OF INDUSTRY under Mr. Abhishek Singh
(Project guide) of JDIMT, Varanasi we also declare that
this project report is our own preparation and not copied
from anywhere else.

This is in accordance with syllabus & guidelines of

AKTU, Lucknow.

Ashutosh Rai
MBA IIIrd Semester
Roll No. : 1517970007

4
 Preface

In every professional course, training is an important factor.

Students gain theoretical knowledge of various subjects in their
respective colleges but they are practically exposed to such
subjects when they get the training in any organization.

It is only through training that I came to know what an industry is

and how it works. I learnt about various departmental operations
and how each department plays its role in aiming for the general
goal of the company in the industry, which would help me in the
future when I will go for my job or will start my own business.

During the whole training I got a lot of experience and came to know
about the management practices in real and how it differs from the
theoretical knowledge that we have studied in our classes.

In todays globalized world, where cut throat competition is

prevailing in the market, theoretical knowledge is not sufficient.
Besides this, one needs to have practical knowledge, which would
help the individual in his/her carrier activities.

5
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

At the very outset of this report with all our due respect and
regards we take this privilege to extend our sincere thanks
to all those who helped us during our project.

We are highly grateful to our director .

who gave us the opportunity to carry our project as a part of
course in MARKET SURVEY OF READY TO EAT FOOD
PRODUCTS OF INDUSTRY. Indeed this project has really
enhanced our knowledge in the field of MARKET
SURVEY OF READY TO EAT FOOD PRODUCTS OF
INDUSTRY

We are also thankful to and our

institute SIM. Lastly we want to thank all the people who
gave their support directly or indirectly to make this project
successful.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTENTS PAGE NO.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 08-09

INTRODUCTION 10-16

COMPANY PROFILE 17-35

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE 36-36

PROBLEM STATEMENT /RATIONALE / OF THE STUDY 37-37

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 38-48

DATA ANALYSIS 49-56

FINDINGS 57-61

RESULT 62-70

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 71-72

SUGGESTIONS 73-73

CONCLUSION 74-74

BIBLIOGRAPHY 75-75

ANNEXURE: QUESTIONNAIRE 76-79

7
 Executive Summary
We Indians are extremely fussy about the food we eat, and
hate to compromise on taste and quality. So, we like our
vegetables with the same taste for years together, perhaps
just like it was in our childhood, which put in other words
means that, for us, theres no substitute for homemade
food.

But have we ever given a thought to how much time we

spend in cooking? How many toils go behind the exotic
fares that a woman prepares for her family? Innumerable
hours are spent on every mouth-watering dish. Cutting this,
chopping that, roasting, grinding, frying. Etc.! Cooking is
indeed a full time occupation.

But todays woman, with so many demands on her time,

simply cannot afford to spend a whole day in the kitchen. At
the same time, in no way is she willing to substitute her
ways, for the fear that quality and taste may be
compromised.

Now people have discovered the joys of a simpler, faster

and fun way of cooking traditional Indian food. As nuclear
families proliferate in urban India, the ready-to-eat market is
set to grow. Its a food revolution thats been a long time
coming.

8
As double-income nuclear families become the norm in
urban India, everyone who is anyone in the food business
has been eyeing the ready-to-eat food sector with
considerable hunger.

Top food companies say the market is currently worth

around Rs 50 crore in India but they confidently predict it
will grow to around Rs 200 crore in the next one or two
years. So there is a great future for food companies in
India.

9
 Introduction
BRIEF
India has made lot of progress in agriculture & food
sectors since independence in terms of growth in output, yields and
processing. It has gone through a green revolution, a white
revolution, a yellow revolution and a blue revolution. Today, India is
the largest producer of milk, fruits, cashew nuts, coconuts and tea in
the world, the second largest producer of wheat, vegetables, sugar
and fish and the third largest producer of tobacco and rice.
Now the time is to provide better food processing & its marketing
infrastructure for Indian industries to serve good quality & safest
processed food like ready to eat food. It is opening a new window
in world scenario as far as taste & acceptance is concerned.
Therefore, Indian Government is providing more infrastructure for
this sector. Excise duty is now ZERO % on RTE and 100 % tax
deduction for the first 10 years for new units. This allows
manufactures to bring down their prices & spreads its flavors to the
world.
The retort processed foods do not require rehydration or cooking
and can be consumed straight from the pouch with or without pre-
warming, depending upon the requirement of the users and the
weather conditions. These foods meet the specific needs of
convenience, nutritional adequacy, shelf stability, storage,
distribution to the centers and have become very popular after the
Year 2002. Some of the mouth-watering dishes in retort pouches
include sooji halwa, upma, chicken curry, mutton curry, fish curry,
chicken madras, chicken kurma, rajma masala, palak paneer, dal

10
makhnil, mutter paneer, potato-peas, mutter mushroom, vegetable
pulav chicken pulav, and mutton pulav, etc.
The pioneer introduction of retorting technology has made the
sale of Ready-to-Eat food products commercially viable with great
taste

CONCEPT
Ready to Eat Meals like already cooked or prepared lunch &
dinner are relatively new products which came in market only a few
years back and are now sold through retail general stores in
especially made sealed aluminum laminates.
The retorting or sterilization process ensures the stability of the
Ready-to-Eat foods in retort pouches, on the shelf and at room
temperature. The application of sterilization technology completely
destroys all potentially harmful micro-organisms, thereby making
sure that the food product has a very long shelf life of over 12
months and needed no refrigeration.
When customer needs to eat, the food item pouch is either put in
microwave oven to warm it or keep in heated water for a few
minutes and then serve to eat.
Such ready to eat meals have been especially given to soldiers in
army of many countries who require carrying their rations while on
war front or while located far away from their main unit.
The advertisements like, "Hungry Kyaa" are adding zest to the
market by popularizing such food items which are precooked and
free from any preservative, and yet have a long shelf life of over 12-
months. These food items are normally selling in pouches, well
packed in cardboard printed boxes of small book size and carry
about 300 grams of cooked food at a price of about Rs. 40 to 200 in
11
foreign market depending upon the type of dish packed. One packet
of vegetable dish is normally sufficient for one meal for three
persons and therefore falls in economic zone of consumers
preferences.

WHY READY TO EAT FOOD

Globalization of Indian food and its culture are the core

factors for popularization of ready to eat foods.
Main motivation for these ready to eat foods is fast growing
foreign market.
Retail outlet culture is now growing rapidly in India.
Shelf life of these foods are at least 12-18 months.
Quality, Taste and Flavor of these foods remains as good as
fresh up to the expiry date.
Women wanting to spend more time out of the kitchen.
More working bachelors staying away from homes.
Cost effective in comparison to the Indian cuisine served by
the restaurants in foreign countries

TYPES OF READY TO EAT FOOD

Veg Food Non Veg Food

Alloo Matar Chicken Curry

Palak paneer Butter Chicken
Sarso Ka Saag Karahi Chicken

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Chana Masala Mughalai Chicken
Kadi Pakora Mutton Masala
Cheese Tomato Mutton Korma
Dal Makhani Karahi Mutton
Rajma Masala Mutton Biryani

PLAYERS IN READY TO EAT FOOD

MTR
Kohinoor Foods
ITC
Haldiram
Tasty Bites

We are here going to study the comparative analysis of ready

to food products of ITC ltd. Foods and MRT foods.

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ITC FOOD LTD.
ITC made its entry into the branded & packaged Foods business in
August 2001 with the launch of the Kitchens of India brand. A more
broad-based entry has been made since June 2002 with brand
launches in the Confectionery, Staples and Snack Foods segments.
The packaged foods business is an ideal avenue to leverage ITC's
proven strengths in the areas of hospitality and branded cuisine,
contemporary packaging and sourcing of agricultural commodities.
ITC's world famous restaurants like the Bukhara and the Dum
Pukht, nurtured by the Company's Hotels business, demonstrate
that ITC has a deep understanding of the Indian palate and the
expertise required to translate this knowledge into delightful dining
experiences for the consumer. ITC has stood for quality products for
over 100 years to the Indian consumer and several of its brands are
today internationally benchmarked for quality.
The Foods business carries forward this proud tradition to deliver
quality food products to the consumer. All products of ITC's Foods
business available in the market today have been crafted based on
consumer insights developed through extensive market research.
Apart from the current portfolio of products, several new and
innovative products are under development in ITC's state-of-the-art
Product Development facility located at Bengaluru.
Leadership in the Foods business requires a keen understanding of
the supply chain for agricultural produce. ITC has over the last 100
years established a very close business relationship with the
farming community in India and is currently in the process of
enhancing the Indian farmer's ability to link to global markets,
through the e-Choupal initiative, and produce the quality demanded
by its customers. This long-standing relationship is being leveraged
14
in sourcing best quality agricultural produce for ITC's Foods
business.
The Foods business is today represented in 4 categories in the
market. These are:
Ready To Eat Foods
Staples
Confectionery
Snack Foods
In order to assure consumers of the highest standards of food
safety and hygiene, ITC is engaged in assisting outsourced
manufacturers in implementing world-class hygiene standards
through HACCP certification. The unwavering commitment to
internationally benchmarked quality standards enabled ITC to
rapidly gain market standing in all its 6 brands:

15
MRT FOOD INDUSTRY

The Mavalli Tiffin Room (commonly known as MTR) is the

brand name of a food related enterprise located in India. Having its
origin in the city of Bangalore, it has a restaurant located on the Lal
Bagh Road in Bangalore and Gandhinagar area as well and also for
the pre-packed food articles which are sold in packets having the
MTR brand. MTR also claims to be the inventor of the popular
South-Indian breakfast item, Rava idli.
MTR was founded as a restaurant by Parampalli
Yajnanarayana Maiya and his brothers in the year 1924. In the mid
1970s when India was under emergency, a Food Control Act was
introduced which mandated that food was to be sold at very low
prices. This move made it difficult for MTR to maintain high
standards in its restaurant business and forced it to diversify into the
instant food business, selling ready-to-eat snacks such
as chutneys and rasams] Since the 1970s, MTR has expanded and
diversified, with MTR Department Stores opened next to the
restaurant, and an outlet opened in Chennai. Currently the MTR
brand represents two separate entities; the MTR
restaurant business and MTR Foods, the pre-packaged food
business.

16
 COMPANY PROFILE

Industry overview

India has made lot of progress in agriculture & food sectors

since independence in terms of growth in output, yields and
processing. It has gone through a green revolution, a white
revolution, a yellow revolution and a blue revolution.

Today, India is the largest producer of milk, fruits, cashew nuts,

coconuts and tea in the world, the second largest producer of
wheat, vegetables, sugar and fish and the third largest
producer of tobacco and rice.

The RTE market in India has been a new concept which is in its
nascent stage. The market has huge potential for growth by
tapping a larger consumer base. The changing perceptions of
the rich and the upper middle class with a rise in their
disposable income have driven the market.

The report begins with an introduction to the Ready to eat

(RTE) market and different segments of RTE market. This is
followed by a market overview indicating the market size and
historical growth of the market.

17
Now the time is to provide better food processing & its
marketing infrastructure for Indian industries to serve good
quality & safest processed food like ready to eat food.

It is opening a new window in world scenario as far as taste &

acceptance is concerned. Therefore, Indian Government is
providing more infrastructures for this sector. Excise duty is
now ZERO % on RTE and 100 % tax deduction for the first 10
years for new units. This allows manufactures to bring down
their prices & spreads its flavors to the world.

The ready-to-eat (RTE) market in India, currently estimated at

Rs. 128 crore (2006) is expected to expand to reach Rs. 2900
crore by 2015, according to an analysis done by Tata Strategic
Management Group (TSMG).

18
 Indies Global Foods Pvt Ltd.

OVERVIEW
INDIES GLOBAL FOODS PRIVATE LIMITED is a Unlisted Private
company incorporated on 23 November, 2013. Its registered office is at
PLOT/SHED NO. 244 PHASE-1, INDUSTRIAL ESTATE BARHI,
VILLAGE BARHI, GANNAUR, Sonepat, Haryana and paid-up capital is
INR 1.0 lacs. Its last reported annual general meeting, per our records,
was held on 30 September, 2015. The company has 3 directors/Key
management personnel.

CIN
U15137HR2013PTC050988

INCORPORATION DATE / AGE

23 November, 2013 / 3 yrs

LAST REPORTED AGM DATE

30 September, 2015

AUTHORISED CAPITAL
INR 1.0 Lacs

PAIDUP CAPITAL
INR 1.0 Lacs

INDUSTRY*
Manufacturing (Food products and beverages)

TYPE
Unlisted Private Company

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CATEGORY
Company limited by Shares

SUBCATEGORY
Non-govt company

EMAIL ADDRESS
Login for email address. This is to prevent spam.

WEBSITE
Website not known. Click here to let us know.

REGISTERED ADDRESS
PLOT/SHED NO. 244
PHASE-1, INDUSTRIAL ESTATE BARHI, VILLAGE BARHI
GANNAUR
Sonepat 131101
Haryana - India

DIRECTORS
DATE OF OTHER
NAME DIN/PAN DESIGNATION
APPOINTMENT DIRECTORSHIPS

NISHANT Additional
07070900 20 May 2015 View
GOYAL Director

VISHAL Additional
07070903 20 May 2015 View
GOEL Director

CHEENALI 07153330 Additional 20 May 2015 View

20
 DATE OF OTHER
NAME DIN/PAN DESIGNATION
APPOINTMENT DIRECTORSHIPS

GOYAL Director

NISHANT GOYAL
Known Current Directorships

COMP
INCOR DATE OF
. DESIGNATIO AS
NAME INDUSTRY P. APPOINTME
STATU N ON
YEAR NT
S

INDIES 15
Manufacturi
GLOBAL Apri
ng (Food Additional
FOODS 2013 Active 20 May 2015 l
products and Director
PRIVATE 201
beverages)
LIMITED 6

16
YUMMYBH
Apri
OG EXPRESS Business
2015 Active Director 23 April 2015 l
PRIVATE Services
201
LIMITED
6

*Industry classification is inferred. If the company has changed

line of business without intimating the Registrar or is a diversified
business, classification may be different. We make no warranties
about accuracy of industry classification
VISHAL GOEL
Known Current Directorships

21
 COMP
INCOR DATE OF
. DESIGNATIO AS
NAME INDUSTRY P. APPOINTME
STATU N ON
YEAR NT
S

INDIES 15
Manufacturi
GLOBAL Apri
ng (Food Additional
FOODS 2013 Active 20 May 2015 l
products and Director
PRIVATE 201
beverages)
LIMITED 6

16
YUMMYBH
Apri
OG EXPRESS Business
2015 Active Director 23 April 2015 l
PRIVATE Services
201
LIMITED
6

*Industry classification is inferred. If the company has changed

line of business without intimating the Registrar or is a diversified
business, classification may be different. We make no warranties
about accuracy of industry classification

22
CHEENALI GOYAL
Known Current Directorships

COMP
INCOR DATE OF
. DESIGNATIO AS
NAME INDUSTRY P. APPOINTME
STATU N ON
YEAR NT
S

INDIES 15
Manufacturi
GLOBAL Apri
ng (Food Additional
FOODS 2013 Active 20 May 2015 l
products and Director
PRIVATE 201
beverages)
LIMITED 6

16
YUMMYBH
Apri
OG EXPRESS Business
2015 Active Director 23 April 2015 l
PRIVATE Services
201
LIMITED
6

*Industry classification is inferred. If the company has changed

line of business without intimating the Registrar or is a diversified
business, classification may be different. We make no warranties
about accuracy of industry classification

23
 Authentic Indian Ready to Eat Food
Natural and Preservative-Free
You might have traveled far and you might have gained bountiful
success, but its the simple things that you will long for always.
Think about it! The little things, like looking at the sunlight as it filters
through the trees in the morning; the heavenly feel of winter sunlight
on your skin; the sweet smell of moist earth after the first monsoon
drizzle and last but not the least is the flavors and aromas of
homemade food
Arent those things what we really long for? There is something
wholesome and comforting about home-cooked food, the kind you
eat daily and can even overeat. This is the food that you are close
to; there is a pleasure in it thats coded into your DNA. Its so
soothing that you feel compelled to call hours in advance of
reaching home, to have it ready. You can slap it about in any
combination you like and even raid the fridge at midnight for second
helpings. Its that simple!
Well, We bring you the same what you have in your mind by Indies
Global Foods Pvt Ltd (Indies Global Foods) under the brand name
"YummyBhog".
Indies Global Foods is a company engaged in manufacturing and
trading of convenience foods. The objective of the company is to
make available Natural, Preservative-free and 100%
vegetarian ready meals to larger public at an affordable price and
gratify hunger anywhere any-time.
Indies Global Foods selects home grown authentic recipes and
convert them into shelf stable dishes. These mouth watering dishes
will leave you with an experience of having eaten freshly home

24
cooked food at your convenience. Featuring a perfect blend of
freshness, health, hygiene and convenience our manufacturing
products include various North Indian delicacies, Indian specialities
and sweets.
Management
Indies Global Foods has been conceived by a team of young
professionals who are MBA's from Prestigious B-School of India
and Chartered Accountant. They carry with them experience of
working for Indian MNC's in various leadership roles with a blend of
working in family business which dates back to more than half a
century. This has helped them to inculcate business values and
principles since childhood. The passion to serve the society ushered
them to conceptualize Indies Global Foods.
Technology
We provide our clients with the best service under the highest
standard of production process and quality control to ensure foods
safety. Our machines are sourced from experienced international
and domestic manufacturers. The process involves preparation,
cooking, filling and sealing and then sterilizing of food products in
various type and size of retort containers.

The Retort - Our Retort is sourced internationally and is of high

quality design and construction with the use of stainless steel AISI
304 L and confirms to Heat Penetration and Thermal Validation
tests. The Steam is directly injected in the bottom of the retort for
fast and uniform come-up. Water Sprays running over the entire
shell length intensely mix steam and air, and create a homogeneous
temperature distribution. Precise temperature and pressure control

25
with the use Highly sensitive temperature and pressure probes, high
quality proportional control valves and PID control loops ensure
accurate process control during the entire sterilization cycle. The
entire cycle is programmed and monitored using a PLC system. The
Retort technology keeps food safe, fresh and flavourful without
refrigeration or preservatives for an extended shelf life.

This also help to extend the shelf life of existing products, allowing
our industrial customers to consolidate operations and extend their
distribution chain.

We have In-house Laboratory, R&D Kitchen and Cold Store.

We at Indies Global aim to manufacture, store and market

products using technologies that allows maximum possible retention
of nutrients and taste without using any preservative.

26
Let's Connect
We are original manufacturers of North Indian curries, rice recipes,
Indian specialities and sweets in Retort Pouches and Cups. We are
also importer of International Specialities in Ready to Eat/ Cook/
Drink format. We believe in partnership with our business
associates and work with the principle of"Together we can and we
will"

We can get in touch if you are any of these:

Start-up enthusiast in convenience food/ QSR industry
Importer/ Exporter of convenience foods
International food/ beverage company interested to enter into
Indian market
Hotel/ Restaurant/ Cafe looking to expand your food offerings
and add convenience to your Kitchen operations
Catering company looking for bulk food preparation partner
Disaster food relief organization

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 Individual Donor/ Corporation working on philanthropic and
CSR efforts
Looking for tailor made recipes under private label
Wholesaler/ Retailer of Ready to Eat foods
Please write us at info@indiesglobal.com

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 PRODUCTS
Mom's Food. Now handy!!!
Indies Global Foods is introducing a variety of "Ready To Eat" food with "Ghar
Ka Swad(Taste of Home)". Now, you can take your mumma wherever you go
in the world.
The collection includes:

Palak Paneer Paneer Mutter Curry

Paneer Tikka Masala Dal Makhani

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Chana Masala Navratan Korma

Kadi Pakoda Paneer Butter Masala

Shahi Paneer Rajma Masala

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Pao Bhaji Masala Mixed Vegetable

Dal Fry Bhindi Masala

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Treat Yourself with "Yummy Rice Treats"!!!
Indies Global Foods is introducing a variety of "Yummy Rice Treats" with which
you can treat yourself anytime, anywhere within minutes and with little
preparation.
The collection includes:

Lemon Rice Sambar Rice

Rajma Rice Tomato Rice

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Jeera Rice Dal Rice

Vegetable Pulao

33
 Gravy Mixes Special!!!
Late for office?? Less time to prepare food. Don't worry. Indies
Global Foods is introducing a variety of "Gravy Mixes". Now, tasty
and healthy food is ready within minutes.
The collection includes:

Paneer Mutter Gravy Mix

Paneer Butter Gravy Mix
Paneer Makhanwala Gravy Mix
Kadai Paneer Gravy Mix
Shahi Paneer Gravy Mix
Palak Paneer Gravy Mix
Butter Chicken Gravy Mix
Chicken Moghlai Gravy Mix
Chicken Tikka Masala Gravy Mix
Egg Gravy Mix
Sambar Gravy Mix
Rajma Masala Gravy Mix
Chhole Gravy Mix
Dal Makhani Gravy Mix
Pav Bhaji Gravy Mix
Biryani Gravy Mix

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Yummy Dessert ready!!!
Indies Global Foods is introducing a new variety of "Ready To Eat" sweets.
Now, you can have your favorite dessert ready within minutes.
The collection includes:

Yummy Moong Dal Halwa

Yummy Gajar Halwa

Yummy Rasogulla

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 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

In view of changing food and eating habits in India and its

implications on health and healthy eating among the consumers, the
key objectives of my study are:

a) To identify the key determinants of ready-to-eat/cook products

b) To study the growing demand of these products

c) To find out the major sources of attraction for these products

36
Problem Statement /Rationale / of
the Study

This study is exploratory and has some limitations that however

does not liquidate the purpose of study. Data obtained from the
convenience sample and literature reviews has been generalized for
inferring consumption & buying patterns of Indian consumers
(population).

Young & Middle age consumers in the age group of 20-40 from
Bangalore, Chennai, cochin, and Hyderabad, frequently visiting the
grocery & shopping malls are given questionnaire and interviewed
personally. The covered people may not represent the whole
population and most of them represent female genders. The cities
targeted also many not represent whole south Indian population.

37
 RESERCH METHODOLOGY

Research can be define as the search for knowledge or any

systematic investigation to establish fact Methodology may be a
description of process, or may be expanded to include a
philosophically coherent collection of theories, concepts or ideas as
they related to a particular discipline or field of inquiry.

Research Methodology we not only talk of the research methods but

also consider the logic behind the method we use in the context of
our research study and explain why we using a particular method
or technique so that research result are evaluated by the researcher
or by others.

Research methodology is a way to systematically slove the

research problem. It is necessary for the researcher to know not
only the research methods but also the methodology. Researchers
not only need to know how to develop certain indices or tests but
also need to know which of these methods or techniques are
relevant and which are not. Researchers also need to understand
the assumptions understand various techniques.

38
Research Process:

Research Design:

A research design serve as a bridge between what has been

established and what is to be done, to conduct study, to realize this
objective. It anticipates what the client will need in terms of results
and the analytical work on the gathered data that will convert it to
useful findings.
Research design is needed because it facilitates the smooth sailing
of the various research operations, thereby making research as
efficient as possible yielding maximal information with minimal
expenditure of effort, time and money.

39
Research design can be categorized in three parts
i). Exploratory research studies.
ii). Hypothesis-testing research studies.
iii). Descriptive and diagnostic research studies.
The research study is of descriptive research study because this
research is made on the basis of primary data as well as secondary
data. Descriptive research studies are also termed as formulating
research studies.

Research design is needed because it facilitates the smooth sailing

of the various research options, thereby making research as
effective as possible yielding maxim information with minim
expenditure of effort, time & money.

A research design is the arrangement of condition for collections &

data in a manner that aim to combine relevance to the research
purpose with economy in procedure. Decisions regarding what,
when, how much, by what means concerning an inquiry or research
study constitute a research design.

Research design selected for this project is Descriptive

Research Design.

40
 SOURCE OF DATA

Data has to be collected from the right source the purpose of the
research. Data are collected as per the requirement of the research
project. There are two main sources of data.

Source of data

Primary data
Secondary data

Primary Data:
Primary source means the data are collected for the first time
directly from the sample or population as per the requirement.

Secondary Data:
For this project report I have used secondary data because this is
secondary research.

The secondary source are those which have all ready been
collected by someone else and which have already passed through
statistical process like information available from newspaper,
magazines, journals, websites, book or periodical reports, data
services and computer data based

41
 Data Collection Method:

(a) Primary Data Collection Method:

Survey method was used for primary data collection

We used questionnaire as an instrument for survey method.
Structured questionnaire.
Type of questionnaire: Open ended and Closed ended.

(b) Secondary Data Collection Method:

Reference books.
Internet.

42
 Population

All the items under consideration in any field of inquiry constitute a

universe or population. A complete enumeration of all the items in
the population is known as a census inquiry. It can be presumed
that in such an inquiry when all the items are covered no element of
chance is left & highest accuracy is obtained. But in practice this
may not be true. Even the slightest element of bias in such an
inquiry will get larger & larger as the number of observation
increases. Besides, this type of inquiry involves a great deal of time,
money & energy. In fact, census inquiry is not possible in practice
under many circumstances.

Hence, quite often we select only a few items from the universe for
our study purposes. The items so selected constitute what is
technically called a Sample. In other words, a sample design is a
definite plan determined before any data are actually collected for
obtaining a sample form given population.

43
 Sampling method
The sample is selected by using Non Probability convenience
sampling method.

Sampling Frame

Target Population

The population for this research study consists of the

resident of Bhavnagar City.

Sampling unit
In this study the Sampling unit is individual consumer.

Sample size:
100

Date Collection Instrument

Here we are using questionnaire method as a data collection

instrument

44
 Hypothesis

Due to Change in lifestyle and FII investment there is a drastic

change in Indian culture and food habits. Most of the family
members doesnt have time to cook the food in traditional way and
most of the families are living in separate environment.

Despite modern cooking devices, consumers still need ready-to-

eat/cook food because it consumes very less time. The change in
lifestyle and dual income consumers prefer these types of products.
The products may vary from noodles, pasta, masala packages,
stuffed paratha, etc... and many more. Other than national player
like nestle, pepsico, ITC, haldirams, cavinkare.

There are many regional players who is making foray into ready-to-
eat segment. Rapid urbanization is also one of the reasons for
people to buy such products. Nowadays people are also health
conscious.

45
Hypothesis Testing:

H0: Pricing affect while purchasing Ready To Eat Food Products.

H1: Pricing does not affect while purchasing Ready To Eat Food
Products.

TEST STASTICES:-

Chi-Square Test = (Fo-Fe)2

Fe
Where, Fo = Observed Frequency and Fe = Expected
Frequency

1. Consumer use or consume ready to eat food products

Respondents
Yes 35
No 65

46
 2. Consumer consume ready to eat food products in the future,
if the problems are solved

Respondents
Yes 52
No 18
Cant say 30

3. improve efficiency

Male Female Total

Yes 17 18 35
No 27 38 65
Total 44 56 100

X2 table for above distribution is given below

Observed Expected (Fo - Fe) (Fo - Fe)2 (Fo -
Frequency Frequency Fe)2/Fe
17 15.4 1.6 2.56 0.167
27 28.6 -1.6 2.56 0.090
18 19.6 -1.6 2.56 0.130
38 36.4 1.6 2.56 0.070
TOTAL 0.457

47
Calculations

Chi-Square Test = (Fo-Fe) 2

Fe

Where, FO = Observed Frequency and Fe = Expected Frequency

Degree of freedom = (r-1) (c-1)

= (2-1) (2-1)
= (1) (1)
=1

Calculated value = 0.457

At 0.05% of significance level,

Tabulated Value = 3.84

Calculated value (0.457) < tabulated value (3.84),

So Ho is accepted.

48
 DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION
Here we have used statistical techniques for analysis. We have
analyzed data to determine the factors affecting the purchase
decision of Ready to Eat Food and to understand the consumption
pattern of Ready to Eat Food.

1) In which kind of family do you live?

[ ] Joint family

[ ] Nuclear family

[ ] Live alone

Family Type

25% 20%
Joint
Nuclear
Live Alone

55%

Locations for our survey were Delhi, Hariyana and Sonipat.

Generally most of the people in Gujarat live in nuclear family. Very
few people, whose native are not Delhi, Hariyana and Sonipat and
doing job or business here, live alone.

49
2) Do you use or consume READY TO EAT food products?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

Users

35%
Yes
No
65%

From the above pie chart that around 65% people do not use Ready
to eat food and 35% people do not use or consume it. There are
many reasons why very few people consukme RTE food. They
might be less awareness, less reliability, higher price or no
requirement of such products.

50
FOLLOWING FOUR QUESTIONS ARE FOR USERS OR BUYERS
OF READY TO EAT FOOD

3) Why do you consume ready to eat food products?

[ ] Need.

[ ] Taste.

[ ] Reliability.

[ ] Price.

[ ] Freshness.

[ ] Quality.

Reason for Buying

5%
0% 10% Need
Taste
10%
Reliability
Price
12% 63% Freshness
Quality

We can see from the pie chart that one of the most important
reason to purchase RTE food is the requirement. If a person lives
alone and do not get the enough time to cook food than and than he
or she will go for it. And most of the users come under this category.
They need the ready to eat food products. And some of the people
like the taste of it that is why they use it.

51
4) Which companys READY TO EAT food product do you
consume?

[ ] ITC.

[ ] MTR.

[ ] Satnam Overseas.

[ ] Testy Bites.

Preferred Companis
3%
1%
20% ITC
MTR
Satnam Overseas

76% Testy Bites

Most of the users of RTE food purchase ITCs AASHIRWAD (RTE

food brand). And second preference is given to MTR. As ITC is a
Famous and trustworthy company people prefer to purchase their
products. And as other companies like MTR, SATNAM OVERSEAS
and TASTY BITES have not become aggressive in Gujarat, people
are not aware about them. They are also expanding their market.

52
c) How many times do you consume READY TO EAT food in a
month?

[ ] 1-5 times

[ ] 5-10 times

[ ] 10-15 times

[ ] More than 15 times

Buying period

5%
15% 0%
1-5 times
5-10 times
10-15 times
>15 times
80%

Most of the users consume RTE food for 1-5 times in a month. It
means today also many people like to eat home made food and
restaurants food.

53
d) How do you find the product?

[ ] Very good

[ ] Good

[ ] Average

[ ] Bad

[ ] Very bad

Quality

7% 3%
25% Very Good
Good
Average
35% Bad
30% Very Bad

Out of 100 users, 35 users rate the RTE products average. It means
if the companies improve the quality and taste, the market for the
RTE can expand or increase.

54
FOLLOWING TWO QUESTIONS ARE FOR NON-USERS OR
BUYERS

a) Which factors do affect for not consuming READY TO EAT

food?

[ ] No need

[ ] Taste

[ ] Reliability

[ ] Price

[ ] Freshness

[ ] Quality

Problem

5% No Need
20% Taste
Reliability
Price
7% 54%
Freshness
6% 8% Quality

Generally in India or in Gujarat, most of the people dont need to

purchase RTE food. They dont require it that is why they do not
purchase it. And 20% of the people believe that they are not fresh
so they do not like to eat.

55
b) Will you consume READY TO EAT FOOD products in the future,
if the problems are solved?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

[ ] Cant say

Willing To Buy

18%
Yes
No
52% Can't Say
30%

When we ask respondents that if your particular problems regarding

RTE food like high price, poor quality etc., will you purchase it? And
most of them were agreed to purchase it.

Finally it can be said from above analysis that people who are
unmarried, who live alone and the family in which both
husband & wife do the job consume Ready to Eat food. Still
RTE food makers need to do lot promotion to make people
aware about their products and to penetrate the market they
also have to reduce the price of their product.

56
 FINDINGS
The important findings of the study are summarized and suitable
conclusions are explained below.
The brand awareness of consumers about Ready to eat food
products among different consumers revealed that, most of the
respondents were aware of MTR (96.00%), ITC (83.00%) and
Satnam Overseas (67.00%) brands.
Brand awareness of consumers about MTR among different age
groups showed
that, brand was very popular i.e. 96.00 per cent of respondents
were aware, followed by Ashirvad brand (93.00%) and Everest
(87.00%).
Chips of Tasty Bytes brand was less familiar among the
respondents. All the respondents were conscious of MTR. Majority
of the respondents were familiar with ITC.
Brand awareness of consumers about ice creams among different
age groups showed that, majority of the respondents were aware of
Amul brand (99.00%), followed by Arun, MTR and Nandini brands .
Only a small percentage of the respondents were aware of
Dinshaws brand. All the respondents were aware of Amul brand. In
case of majority of the respondents were aware of Amul and MTR
brands.
Influence of media to create awareness about the brands in the
study area showed that in case of Ready to eat food products,
television was the major source for getting information about the
brands. This was followed by newspapers and friends/relative.
In case of other products majority of the respondents were
influenced by television. Radio was the least preferred media for

57
brand awareness of all the four products. Overall, television was
preferred as the major source of information for brand awareness
followed by newspapers and friends/relatives. Only a meager
percentage of the respondents were influenced by radio.
Buyers and non-buyers of ready-to-eat food products presented that
consumed by all the respondents in the study area. About 92.00 per
cent, 93.00 percent and 94.00per cent of the respondents
consumed MTR, Everest and ITC respectively.
All the respondents consumed food products and Ice-creams were
mostly consumed by all the respondents. None of the respondents
consumed chips, fruit juice and ice- creams. The major factors
considered by the respondents for purchasing biscuits were
convenience as snacks, liking of the family members and ready
availability . Taste was the main reason for purchase of chips, fruit
juice and ice creams.
Convenience to use as snacks, satisfaction and ready availability
were other important factors considered while purchasing food
products. In case of fruit juice, ready availability, save time of
preparation and satisfaction were other important factors considered
by the respondents. About 55.31 per cent and 44.68 per cent of the
respondents consumed ice creams because of satisfaction and
influence of friends or relatives.
All the respondents did not purchase oili products since they were
health conscious. The other reasons for not consuming chips were
low quality of the product, dislike towards the product and high
price. In case of fruit juice, majority of the respondents were not
purchasing this product because they preferred home made
products. High price was the other important reason for not
purchasing ready to eat food products.
58
In case of ice creams all the respondents did not purchase because
they disliked the product. More than half of the respondents said
they were not consuming ice creams because they were health
conscious. The average monthly expenditure on ready-to-eat food
products was found to be highest in the case of high income group.
It was inferred that majority of the respondents purchased Ready to
eat twice in a week from bakeries and departmental stores. Most of
the respondents purchased ready to eat food products whenever
needed. Maximum number of respondents purchased chips and
fruit juice from bakeries.
Ice creams were mostly purchased in ice parlours. In case of
biscuits and fruit juice, majority of the respondents did go for
planned purchase. But in case of chips and ice creams majority of
the respondents did impulsive buying.

Influence of income on purchase decisions on ready-to-eat food

products showed that, in case of biscuits, chips and fruit juice
majority of the respondents of all the three income groups took their
own decision while purchasing the products. In case of ice creams,
majority of the respondents of low and high income groups took self
decision.
In the middle income group, maximum of the respondents were
influenced by friends while taking purchase decision on ice creams.
Influence/impact of education to make purchase decision on ready-
to-eat food products showed that, in case of biscuits, fruit juice and
ice creams most of the degree and post graduate level respondents
took their own decision while purchasing.
It clearly shows that education level of the respondents has
prompted them to take independent decision. It was inferred that
59
maximum number of respondents preferred sweet biscuits It was
found that preference for potato chips was found to be highest in
case of all the three age groups. Banana chips and jack fruit chips
were also highly preferred among the respondents. Chilly
flavoured/masala chips were mostly preferred among the
respondents followed by tomato flavoured chips and salted / plain
chips.
Mango juice, apple juice and orange juice were mostly preferred
juices among the respondents. Majority of the respondents
preferred cone ice creams followed by cup and candy ice creams,
family packs were least preferred among the respondents. It was
found that none of the respondents of AG1 preferred family packs.
Maximum number of respondents preferred vanilla flavor followed
by pista flavour and chocolate flavour. Chocolate flavour was highly
preferred in case of first age group respondents. In the case of
biscuits, Parle-G, Good day and Marie gold biscuits were highly
preferred brands among the respondents. Most of the respondents
preferred Lays, Uncle chips and Bingo brands in the case of chips.
In case of fruit juice Maaza, Frooti and Slice were highly preferred
brands.
In case of ice creams majority of the respondents preferred Amula
brand followed by Kwality walls and MTR. The factors that
influenced brand preference of biscuits were quality, taste and
reasonable price.

In case of chips, fruit juice and ice creams the major factors
influenced brand preference were taste, quality and reasonable
price. Maximum number of respondents in case of all the four

60
products would go to other shops if preferred brand was not
available.
The results have shown the ready-to-eat market segment is
defined by high growth in middle class section peoples and
their life style changes due to job factors. Some sections of the
people agreed, availability of product choices is also deciding
them to buy such products impulsively. Even some small
section of the people agreed that most of the youngster dont
want to spend much time.

61
 RESULTS
The results of the study are presented under the following headings.
1 Awareness of consumers towards branded ready-to-eat food
products.
2 Purchase behaviour of consumers towards ready-to-eat food
products.
3 Factors influencing brand preference.
4 Alternative purchase plans of the consumers.
1. AWARENESS OF CONSUMERS TOWARDS BRANDED
READY-TO-EAT
FOOD PRODUCTS
To know the awareness, it is necessary to study socio-economic
characteristics of the
Consumers, as these are the important variables, which decide the
consumption pattern of food products in the family. Generally it is
believed that, as the income, age and education of the consumers
increase, the expenditure on consumption of food products also
increases.
2. PURCHASE BEHAVIOUR OF CONSUMERS
2.1 Buyers and non-buyers of ready-to-eat food products

The data on buyers and non buyers of ready-to-eat food products in

the study area is
presented in Table 4.7. The table revealed that biscuits were
consumed by all the
respondents in the study area. Hundred per cent each of the
respondents across all the age groups consumed biscuits. About
92.00 per cent of the respondents purchased chips for consumption

62
and remaining 8.00 per cent of them were not buying. In case of
AG1, chips were consumed by all the respondents. About 98.18 per
cent of the respondents of AG2 bought chips for consumption.
Among AG3, 66.66 per cent of them were buying chips for
consumption and remaining 33.33 per cent of them were non
buyers. Fruit juice was bought by 93.00 per cent of the respondents
and remaining 7.00 per cent of them were not buying.
Hundred per cent, 96.36 per cent and 88.88 per cent of the
respondents of AG1, AG2 and AG3 respectively consumed fruit
juice. Fruit juice was not consumed by 3.63 per cent and 11.11 per
cent of the respondents of AG2 and AG3 accordingly. Ice creams
were consumed by 94.00 per cent of the respondents and
remaining 6.00 per cent of them were not consuming.
About 96.87, 98.18 and cent per cent of the respondents of AG1,
AG2 and AG3
consumed ice creams. Only a meagre per cent of the respondents
of AG1 (3.12%) and AG2 (1.81%) did not consume ice creams. All
the respondents of AG4 were non-buyers of chips, fruit juice and ice
creams.
2.2 Reasons for purchasing ready-to-eat food products
An attempt was made to elicit the factors considered by the
respondents for purchase of ready-to-eat food products in
Bhavnagar. The major factors considered while purchasing biscuits
were convenience to use as snacks (65.00%), liking of the family
members (60.00%) and ready availability (53.00%). The other
reasons for the purchase of biscuits were taste, satisfaction, easy
availability in the shops, save time of preparation and influence of
friends/relatives (46.00%, 43.00%, 39.00%, 23.00% and 15.00%

63
respectively). Taste was the main reason for purchasing chips
(80.43%).
The other factors considered while purchasing chips were
convenience to use as snacks (64.13%), satisfaction (52.17%),
ready availability (46.73%), save time of preparation (39.13%),
influence of friends/relatives (36.95%), liking of the family members
(31.52%) and easy availability in the shops (26.08%). Only a
meagre percentage of the respondents said other reasons (1.08%)
like habit of eating and time pass. Fruit juice was consumed mainly
because of taste (59.13%) followed by ready availability (55.91%),
save time of preparation (49.46%), satisfaction (47.31%), influence
of friends or relatives (44.08%), liking of the family members
(36.55%), convenience to use (26.88%) and easy availability in the
shops (15.05%).
Only 9.67 per cent of the respondents said they consume fruit juice
because of its nutritive value and good for health. In case of ice
creams, 61.70 per cent of the respondents consume because of its
taste, 55.31, 44.68, 39.36, 34.04, 27.65, 25.53 and 13.82 per cent
of the respondents opined that satisfaction, influence of
friends/relatives, liking by the family members, ready availability,
save time of preparation, easy availability in the shops and
convenience to use respectively were the factors responsible for
purchasing ice creams.
2.3 Reasons for not purchasing ready-to-eat food products

Reasons for not purchasing ready-to-eat food products, as opined

by the respondents
are presented in Table 4.9. It was revealed from the table that, there
was no reason for the respondents for not purchasing biscuits. That
64
is the researcher could not find anybody who disliked the product.
Cent per cent of the respondents did not purchase chips since they
were health conscious. About 62.50 per cent of the respondents did
not purchase due to low quality of the product. The other reasons
for not consuming chips were dislike towards the product and high
price (50.00% each). In the case of fruit juice majority of the
respondents (85.71%) were not purchasing this product because
they preferred home made products.
The other reasons for not purchasing fruit juice were high price
(71.42%), dislike towards the product (42.85%) and 28.57 per cent
of them did not purchase because of its low quality. In case of ice
creams cent per cent of the respondents did not purchase because
they disliked the product, 66.66 per cent of them were not using this
product because they were health conscious and 33.33 per cent of
the respondents quoted other reason like allergy to cold. High price
and low quality were the reasons for not consuming ice creams by
16.66 per cent each of the respondents.
2.4 Monthly expenditure of households on food items
It could be seen from the table that the households monthly
expenditure increased with
increase in monthly income. The average monthly expenditure on
ready-to-eat food products was found to be highest in case of high
income group, followed by middle income group and low income
group. On an average Hubli and Dharwad consumers spend Rs.
301.10 per month on ready-to-eat food products which was around
14.00 per cent of their monthly consumption expenditure. Similar
trend was noticed with respect to other food items like cereals,
pulses, fats and oils, fruits and vegetables and milk and milk
products. With respect to total monthly expenditure, it was Rs.
65
2747.60 in high income group, Rs. 2331.35 in middle income group
and Rs. 1566.00 in low income group.

Among the three income groups studied high income group spend
more proportion
(15.39%) of their monthly consumption expenditure on ready-to-eat
food products, while low income group spend 14.30 per cent of their
monthly consumption expenditure. It was surprising to see the
consumption expenditure of middle income group on ready-to-eat
food products, where in they spend only 12.80 per cent of their
monthly expenditure on ready-to-eat food products.
2.5 Monthly expenditure of households on ready-to-eat food
products
The average monthly expenditure on biscuits was found to be
highest in case of high income group (Rs. 128.38) followed by
middle income group (Rs.82.94) and low income group (Rs. 60.70).
Similar trend was noticed with respect to other products like chips,
fruit juice and ice creams. On an average Hubli and Dharwad
consumers spend about Rs. 85.86 on biscuits, Rs.41.75 on chips,
Rs. 57.80 on fruit juice and Rs. 58.70 on ice creams monthly.
The analysis of expenditure on ready-to-eat food products revealed
that, on an
average the consumers of Hubli-Dharwad spend maximum on
biscuits (35.17%) followed by ice creams (24.04%), fruit juice
(23.67%) and chips (17.10%) out of their monthly expenditure on
ready-to-eat food products. Among the income groups studied, high
income group spend the maximum on biscuits (35.51%) followed by
ice creams (26.44%), fruit juices (22.55%) and chips (15.48%) out
of their total consumption on ready-to-eat food products.
66
While middle income group after spending maximum on biscuits
(34.45%), next they preferred fruit juice (25.71%), ice creams
(20.70%) and least was on chips (19.11%). The expenditure of low
income group followed the pattern of high income group in the order
of their spending on ready-to-eat food products.
2.6 Frequency and place of purchase
It could be seen from the table that, majority of the respondents
purchased biscuits twice in a week from bakeries and departmental
stores (70.58% each) and 41.17 per cent each of them purchased
from retail outlet. This was followed by once in a week from
departmental stores (63.63%), bakeries (57.57%) and 42.42 per
cent of the respondents purchased from retail outlets.
Most of the respondents purchased chips, fruits juice and ice
creams whenever
needed. Majority of them purchased chips from bakeriesfollowed by
departmental stores and only of the respondents purchased from
retail outlets. This was followed by fortnightly purchase of chips from
bakeries , departmental stores and them purchased from retail
outlets.
In case of fruit juice, maximum of the respondents purchased from
bakeries and least per cent of the respondents purchased from
retail outlets This was followed by once in a week purchase from
bakeries , retail outlets , departmental stores (23.07%) and least per
cent of the respondents purchased from ice parlors (15.38%). Ice
creams were mostly purchased in ice parlour (96.72%), when ever
needed. Thirteen per cent of the respondents bought ice creams
from bakeries. Very few of them purchased from retail outlets
(4.91%) and departmental stores (3.27%). This was followed by
once in a week purchase from ice parlors (94.11%), bakeries
67
(23.52%), retail outlets (17.64%) and 11.76 per cent of them
purchased from departmental stores.
2.7 Nature of purchase decision
In case of biscuits, among the first two age groups, maximum of the
respondents did a
planned purchase (71.87% and 61.81% respectively) and only
28.12 per cent and 38.18 per cent of first and second age groups
respectively did impulsive buying. But in case of AG3, 55.55 per
cent of them did impulsive buying followed by only 44.44 per cent of
them went for planned purchase. In the last group, all the
respondents planned and purchased biscuits and none of them
opted for impulsive buying. Overall, 65.00 per cent of them did
planned purchase and only 35.00 per cent of them did go for
impulsive buying for biscuits. About 73.91 per cent of the chips
buyers did impulsive buying and remaining 26.08 per cent of them
did go for planned purchases. Among the first three age groups,
majority of the respondents did go for impulsive buying (68.75%,
74.07% and 100.00% of the respondents of AG1, AG2 and AG3
respectively). About 31.25 per cent 25.92 per cent of the
respondents of AG1 and AG2 did planned purchase and none of the
respondents of AG3 did planned purchase.
Among the fruit juice buyers, 55.91 per cent of them planned the
purchase of fruit juice and remaining 44.08 per cent of them did go
for impulsive buying. Among the first age group most of them
planned and purchased fruit juice (68.75%) and only 31.25 per cent
of them did go for impulsive buying.
In case of , marginally higher per cent of the respondents did
impulsive buying (50.94%) followed by planned purchase by 49.05
per cent of the respondents. In case of , 50.00 per cent each of the
68
respondents did go for impulsive buying and planned purchase. In
the case of ice creams, among the first age group maximum of the
respondents planned and purchased ice creams followed by only
35.48 per cent of them went for impulsive buying. But in case of and
majority of them did impulsive buying and respectively did planned
purchase. Overall, 51.06 and 48.93 per cent of ice cream buyers did
go for impulsive buying and planned purchase respectively.
3. FACTORS INFLUENCING BRAND PREFERENCE
While preferring a particular brand in biscuits quality was considered
as the foremost
factor. Second important factor was taste with a mean score of
74.79. Reasonable price was ranked as third factor. Quantity and
availability of the brands were ranked fourth and fifth ranks
respectively. While preferring a particular brand in chips, fruit juice
and ice creams, taste was considered as the foremost factor in all
the products. Quality was considered as the second important factor
by the consumers. Third criteria considered was reasonable price in
all the three products. Quantity and brand image were considered
as fourth and fifth criteria respectively.
In case of all the four products retailers influence was considered as
the last criteria
for the preference of a particular brand (mean score of 27.91, 30.32,
28.53 and 31.45
respectively).
4. ALTERNATIVE PURCHASE PLANS OF READY-TO-EAT
FOOD
PRODUCTS
Majority of the respondents in case of biscuits (80.00%), chips
(60.86%), fruit juice (58.06%) and ice creams (56.38%) would go to
69
other shops if preferred brand was not available. In the case of
biscuit consumers, 27.00 per cent of the respondents would
postpone their purchase decision if their preferred brand was not
available, 22.00 per cent of them bought other brand and 26.00 per
cent of the respondents placed order to get required brand. In case
of chips, 40.21 per cent of the respondents opined to buy other
brand if their favourite brand was not available, 36.95 per cent of
them would postpone the purchase decision and only 23.91 per
cent of the respondents planned to place order to get their required
brand. In case of fruit juice, if required brand was not available in
the market 34.40 per cent of the respondents were ready to
postpone their purchase decision, 38.70 per cent of the respondents
opined that they would buy other brand and 21.50 per cent of them
said they would place order to get their required brand.
In case of ice creams, 40.42 per cent of the respondents opined that
they would postpone the purchase decision of their preferred brand
was not available in the market, 32.97 per cent of them would buy
some other brands and 34.04 per cent of the respondents said they
would place order to get required brand.

70
 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Data obtained from the convenience sample and literature reviews

has been generalized for inferring purchasing patterns of Indian
consumers (population). The numbers may not totally represent the
whole section of the population because of different backgrounds.
Although the study varies in male and female ratio and family
members and May not considered the collective opinion of the
family. Customers are surveyed in shopping malls and not in
Koriyama shops.
This study is exploratory and has some limitations that however
does not liquidate the purpose of study. Data obtained from the
convenience sample and literature reviews has been generalized for
inferring consumption & buying patterns of Indian consumers
(population).
Young & Middle age consumers in the age group of 20-40 from
Bangalore, Chennai, cochin, and Hyderabad, frequently visiting the
grocery & shopping malls are given questionnaire and interviewed
personally. The covered people may not represent the whole
population and most of them represent female genders. The cities
targeted also many not represent whole south Indian population.
Ready to eat foods such as processed foods and pre-packaged
meals have a few advantages, but many disadvantages. They are
convenient when you don't have a lot of time and are handy on the
go. The problem is that they are full of chemical preservatives that
keep them fresh and make them convenience foods.
They are full of salt, which isn't good for anyone if not moderated.
Most ready to eat foods have salt contents that are close, if not past

71
the recommended daily salt intake levels. If you can, avoid eating
them. They contribute to health conditions such as heart problems,
high blood pressure, kidney and liver problems.
The below pie-diagram shows the people in the age group of
between 20-40 responded that there are many major sources of
attraction for buying these products. Good packaging plays a
important role in deciding this product. There are other factors taken
into consideration are aroma & taste, easy to cook, healthy,
information on calories, rare ingredients, convenience in buying,
quick turn round time in cooking.
In the nutshell, we cant freeze one of the major factors is the
source of attraction for these FMCG products, because all of these
other factors contributing to the growth of these products or the
major sources of attraction for these products. Most of the
respondents feel the packaged food are healthy because over the
cover the ingredients and calories level are printed properly and so
they can make decision based on these factors.
Convenience in buying are also the another factor. Some of the
ingredients are not available nowadays and people are finding it
difficult to access it, so foods combined with rare ingredients are
one of the major factors in deciding these products. Most of the
consumers are knowledgeable and used to buy these products only
after carefully reading the ingredients in a proper way.

72
 SUGGESTIONS

As awareness of RTE food is less, food companies should increase

their promotional activities.

Food companies should organize a food festival events in different

cities to attract new customers

Food companies concentrate more on nuclear family but along with

they should also concentrate on people who live alone.

Food companies should try to reduce the cost of RTE food.

Though the demand for the ready-to-eat products is increasing in

the global market, the supply is still not satisfactory. So food
companies should increase their production capacity.

Quality is of paramount importance for the growth of the RTE foods

business in India. So each food company should concentrate on
quality improvement of RTE food.

Packaging is also important for RTE food to keep the food hygienic.
Food companies must follow the international norms for packaging.

Food companies should explore the new avenues for marketing and
distribution of RTE food.

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 CONCLUSION

With the income level rising, demand for milk, meat or fish, fruits
and vegetables is also increasing in India. With more urbanization,
Indian families also consume more processed foods, more ready-to-
eat foods, etc. Asian Americans, now numbering over 10 million
along with the other 13 million persons of India origin spread all over
the world are a huge potential market for the RTE Foods out of
India. This creates a scope for the producers to come out with a
long range of dishes including the usual meals. India had been at
the forefront for variety of dishes both in domestic and global
market. Today the ready-to-eat products produced from India are
mostly on Basmati rice Pulao, Biryani, Dal, Channa, Rajma, Spicy
Vegetable Curry, Mushroom, Paneer, Chicken, Broccoli, Sweets
and many more South Indian dishes.

Food companies should increase the promotion of RTE food to

create awareness among people about the concept of RTE food
and convince customers about the misconception about the added
preservatives in RTE food.

There is great opportunity for Indian food companies to capture

Indian food market as well as food market of other countries. Top
food companies say the market is currently worth around Rs 50
crore in India but they confidently predict it will grow to around Rs
200 crore in the next one or two years. So there is a great future for
food companies of India.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

WEBSITES:

www.indiainfoline.com
www.agriwatch.com
www.satnamoverseas.com
www.itcportel.com

MAGAZINES:

ICFAI journal of Marketing Management

PITCH

NEWSPAPERS:

Economics TIMES
Business Standard

Thank You.

75
 ANNEXTURES

QUESTIONNAIRE

Respected Sir/Madam,

We, the students of JDIMT, Varanasi are conducting a research

on READY TO EAT FOOD market. We request you to provide
information required in the questionnaire.

_______________________________________________________
___________

1. In which kind of family do you live?

[ ] Joint family

[ ] Nuclear family

[ ] Live alone

2. Do you use or consume READY TO EAT food products?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

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 3. If yes, [ FOR USERS OF READY TO EAT FOOD]
a) Why do you consume ready to eat food products?

[ ] Need.

[ ] Taste.

[ ] Reliability.

[ ] Price.

[ ] Freshness.

[ ] Quality.

b) Which companys READY TO EAT food product do you

consume?

[ ] ITC.

[ ] MTR.

[ ] Satnam Overseas.

[ ] Tasty Bites.

c) How many times do you consume READY TO EAT food

in a month?

[ ] 1-5 times

[ ] 5-10 times

[ ] 10-15 times

[ ] More than 15 times

d) How do you find the product?

[ ] Very good

[ ] Good

[ ] Average

[ ] Bad

[ ] Very bad
77
e) Any suggestion for Ready to Eat food products.

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
________________

4. If no, [ FOR NON-USERS OF READY TO EAT FOOD]

a) Which factors do affect for not consuming READY TO

EAT food?

[ ] No need.

[ ] Taste.

[ ] Reliability.

[ ] Price.

[ ] Freshness.

[ ] Quality.

b) Will you consume READY TO EAT FOOD products in the

future, if the problems are solved?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

[ ] Cant say

c) Any suggestions for Ready to Eat food

_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

78
PERSONAL DETAILS:

Name:
______________________________________________________
_

Age: ______________Sex: ___________ Occupation:

_________________

Income: _______________________ Marital status:

___________________

Thank You

79