Packaged Atta: a fast-growing, ever-evolving market in India Wheat has been a staple food with the high level of consumption largely unaffected by changes in its price. India is the 3rd largest producer of wheat, after Europe and China, and wheat remains a staple food, especially in North India.
Traditionally, across India, consumers by loose wheat and get it ground in local stone mills known as ‘chakkis’. But today, especially in urban areas, these flour mills are facing tough competition from branded atta manufacturers. With growing health awareness and disposable incomes, packaged atta is growing in popularity. Convenience, hygiene and easy availability through retail outlets are some of the plus points that are attracting more and more consumers every day. As per an industry survey, the packaged atta market is growing at 25% per annum, opening up a world of potential for manufacturers and retailers. The growing number of atta brands, and the introduction of new variants such as multigrain atta, low carb atta, sugar control atta and fortified atta bears testimony to this market's evolution. There is also growing availability of other flours which were usually ground at home, and are regional and season-specific in nature. Today, retail shelves are packed with a wide range of such flours including maize atta, pearl millet atta, amaranth atta, moong dal atta, urad dal atta, buckwheat atta, water-chestnut atta, multigrain dosa atta, multigrain bhatura atta, oats atta, rice atta, etc. For packaging grains and atta, manufacturers trust Nichrome’s expertise. Nichrome has 4 decades of experience in flexible packaging machinery, and indepth application-specific expertise to custom-design integrated packaging solutions for customers. Pillsbury and Patanjali are two well-known brands who use Nichrome automated packaging machines for their atta packaging. Nichrome Atta Packaging machines Nichrome's VFFS packaging machine, Sprint 250 Plus Servo Auger is a popular choice for many atta manufacturers. For pouch quantities up to 2 Kgs, Nichrome’s Sprint 250 Plus series offers speed,