Catch to double sales in 3 years
DS Group, the entity behind the popular Catch brand of spices, is looking to increase its market footprint, aiming to achieve sales of ₹2,000 crore in the next two to three years and further boosting it to ₹5,000 crore in five to six years. This growth is expected to come from a blend of expanding market reach and heightened marketing efforts.
Currently, Catch spices generate around ₹1,000 crore in annual sales.
According to Rajiv Kumar, the vice chairman of DS Group, the company's immediate strategy revolves around enhancing marketing initiatives and increasing distribution and penetration into tier-II and tier-III cities. “We have enough manufacturing facilities right now. Our main focus is marketing…Second is going to the tier-II, tier-III cities, to get better distribution and penetration. We are also ramping and adding to our sales and marketing teams,” Kumar explained.
In FY24, DS Group allocated ₹100 crore to market its salt and spices, after engaging celebrities such as Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar in 2022 to endorse the products.
With its strong presence in northern India, where Catch holds a 9% market share, the company plans to break into southern markets and explore new product categories. In the premium salt, or table top salt, category, Catch enjoys a far bigger 80–90%.
Kumar noted that the brand is already broadening its portfolio, having recently entered the gourmet gravies market and eyeing future expansions into condiments.
Beyond spices, Catch also offers bottled water, fizzy beverages, and nuts. Its products are distributed through more than 700,000 outlets via over 1,500 distributors.
This expansion strategy aligns with the broader trends in India's spice market, which is poised to reach ₹50,000 crore by 2025, with branded spices expected to account for half of the market, according to a note by investment bank Avendus Capital.
As such, spice companies exploring new markets to encourage a shift from unbranded to branded spice mixes. The DS Group's Catch brand competes with Daburowned Badshah, ITC's Sunrise, and MDH. DS Group's Catch brand of salt and spices competes with Dabur-owned Badshah, ITC's Sunrise, and MDH in the spices market.