Yes, Parle is an Indian company. It is an Indian multinational food corporation headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Parle specialises in biscuits and confectionery products. The company is widely known for its iconic Parle-G biscuit, which is the world’s best-selling biscuit, as per a 2011 report by Nielsen.
Parle is the largest manufacturer of biscuits and confectionery in India. Its product portfolio includes a host of popular brands, including Parle-G, Mango Bite, Monaco, Krack Jack, Poppins, Hide and Seek, 20-20 and Melody. Parle focuses on nutrition, hygiene, quality and affordability. The company holds a high share in the Indian biscuit market and is also a leading global FMCG brand.
| Details | Info |
| Founded | 1929 |
| Founder | Mohanlal Dayal Chauhan |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| CEO | Sheena Poova Karkera |
| Sector | Food processing |
Company History
Parle was founded in the year 1929 by Mohanlal Dayal Chauhan as a confectionery producing hard-boiled orange candies. The company commenced manufacturing glucose biscuits in the year 1939, and supplied the same to the British Army during the Second World War. Post independence in the year 1947, Parle started manufacturing Glucose biscuits for the Indian market. The glucose biscuits quickly gained popularity and were rebranded as Parle-G in 1980.
Following the exit of Coca-Cola from India in the year 1977, Parle launched its own beverage brands like Gold Spot, Thumbs Up and Frooti. In the 1980s, the company expanded its portfolio to include other biscuit brands like Krack Jack, Monaco and Hide and Seek. Parle sold its beverage brands like Gold Spot, Limca and Thumbs Up to Coca-Cola in the year 1993.
Current Status
Parle currently holds around 43% share in the Indian biscuit market and about 15% share in the country’s confectionery market. The company’s signature brand Parle-G is still the largest selling biscuit brand in the world, with annual sales exceeding 1.2 million metric tonnes. Parle operates a number of manufacturing facilities in numerous locations, including Hyderabad, Bahadurgarh, Sitarganj, Pantnagar, Bangalore, Mumbai and Kanpur.
Parle has a network of over 6 million retail outlets in India and more than 70 countries, including United States and countries in Europe and Africa. The company is collaborating with IBM to leverage the latter’s AI and cloud solutions to maximise the efficiency of its supply chain and distribution network.
Future Outlook
Parle is seeking to expand its product portfolio to premium biscuits and breakfast cereals to reduce dependency on Parle-G. The company is looking to target the health-conscious customers and is likely to launch healthier biscuits like low-sugar, high-fibre, nutrient-fortified and others.
Parle is expected to expand to emerging markets in Africa and Southeast Asia to leverage the increasing demands for biscuits and other convenient snacks.