Meet Nadia Chauhan: The Woman Who Took 'Frooti' Owner Parle Agro From Rs 300 Crore To Rs 8,000 Crore

Some brands in the country have become so successful and popular that everyone knows them and, at some point, has even used them. However, little may be known about the persons behind them. One such brand is Parle Agro’s ‘Frooti’. A woman who significantly contributed to the success of the company is Nadia Chauhan. Here’s how Nadia Chauhan took Frooti and Apply Fizz’s owner Parle Agro from a Rs 300-crore brand to an Rs 8,000-crore brand:

Frooti’s consumers today range from patients drinking at hospitals to those enjoying family functions. Frooti alone has about 48 per cent share in the total sales of Parle Agro.

Born into a business family of Chauhans in California and brought up in Mumbai, Nadia Chauhan studied commerce at H R College.

She joined her father’s group ‘Parle Agro’ at a very young age, at 17 years, in 2003. Founded in 1929 by Nadia’s great-grandfather Mohanlal Chauhan, the company started manufacturing beverages in 1959.

When Chauhan joined Parle Agro in 2003, the company had almost a complete dependence on Frooti, which accounted for nearly 95 per cent of the company’s total sales. She decided to reduce the company’s dependency on one product and diversify into other areas. As part of this, she launched the iconic package water brand ‘Baileys’, which has now become a Rs 1,000-crore business.

With the new strategies, Agro Parle’s sales surged from Rs 300 crore earlier to a whopping Rs 8,000 crore now. The company increased its turnover in the past years, as a result of distribution and key tie-ups with dhabas and long-distance bus operators.

Appy Fizz

The breakthrough move came in 2005 when Nadia Chauhan launched her brainchild ‘Appy Fizz’, one of the firsts in the apple juice category when India was unfamiliar with Apple juice. The product became a hit with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 36 per cent and a market share of 99 per cent. Appy Fizz’s business is currently about Rs 2,000 crore.

Brand Promotion

Parle Agro roped in Bollywood actors Alia Bhatt and Ram Charan to promote Frooti through advertisements with funky clothes.

Nadia currently serves as the chief marketing officer and joint managing director of FMCG company Parle Agro.

(The story has been updated with few changes)