The company’s expansion plans include deeper market penetration, institutional business growth, besides development of its rice portfolio
Vikram Roller Flour Mills Limited (Vikram Mills), a legacy player in India’s agro-products sector is working on expanding its presence across existing and emerging markets over the next three to five years. The company is also looking to further develop its institutional business and recently introduced rice category, as part of its broader growth plans.
Vikram Mills is working on all these areas as more consumers, hotels and food businesses move towards organised players for their regular requirements. The company has been supplying its products to several institutional and HoReCa (Hotel, Restaurant, and Catering) customers. Vikram Mills’ association with these customers has grown over the years through consistent product standards, timely supplies and a better understanding of their business needs.
Each institutional buyer works differently, depending on their operations and the type of products they require. Vikram Mills has built its approach around understanding these differences and maintaining consistency across sourcing, production and supply.
Mr. Shubham Garg, Director, Vikram Roller Flour Mills Limited said, “Food businesses depend a lot on consistency because customers expect the product to remain the same every time they use it. Each institutional customer has its own requirements and so understanding these details has been important for us. Maintaining product quality and ensuring timely supplies have played an important role in the relationships we share with our customers today.”
The packaged and processed wheat segment has changed significantly in India. The customers are looking for better quality and reliability. Vikram Mills continues to build on its existing manufacturing capabilities and distribution network to serve the growing demand across markets.
Deliberating on geographical expansion, Mr. Garg said, “The domestic market has abundant growth potential. There are still many opportunities within India, particularly as demand for organised food products grows in smaller cities. Our immediate effort is to increase our presence in existing markets while entering new ones at the right time. Any expansion in manufacturing and distribution will align with future demand and customer requirements.”
As part of its portfolio expansion, Vikram Mills recently entered the rice category, moving beyond its established wheat-based product range. So, the company plans to use its existing sourcing and distribution experience to gradually build the new category.
“Rice is one of the most consumed food categories in India, making it a natural extension for us,” Mr. Garg explained. “Over the years, we have built a deep understanding of staples through wheat-based products. We are applying that experience to rice. The market response from both new and existing customers has been encouraging. Since we are in the early stages, our focus is on understanding customer preferences, strengthening supply, and taking the products to the right markets before scaling up gradually.”
Vikram Mills has also been making changes across its manufacturing setup as the business grows. The company is upgrading processes, besides adding systems that help its teams manage production, quality checks and daily operations more effectively.
Being part of the food segment, the company gives importance to checks at every stage of the process, right from selecting grains to the final product reaching customers. Efforts are also being made to improve resource usage, limit wastage and bring better practices across operations.
Going forward, Vikram Mills will continue building on its existing product range while exploring opportunities that match its experience in the staple food segment.
“The flour milling industry has evolved over the years. Earlier, availability was one of the biggest factors but today customers also look at hygiene, consistency and how products are manufactured,” added Mr. Garg.
“In the next three to five years, our priority is to strengthen our core categories, improve our capabilities to manage growing demand and maintain the trust we have built over several decades,” he concluded.
Over the years, Vikram Mills has expanded from its core wheat-based portfolio while keeping everyday food categories at the centre of its business. With the addition of rice and increasing demand from retail as well as institutional customers, the company plans to continue strengthening its presence in India’s evolving food processing sector.
