On Aug 23., at Amity University in Uttar Pradesh, India, students sampled “Shin Ramen Red Super Spicy” at a booth organized by Nongshim, a South Korean multinational food and beverage company. This product, the spiciest in Nongshim’s export range, was met with positive feedback, with 83% of surveyed students saying the spice level was right for them. Nongshim had previously participated in Amity University’s festival last February, which drew 30,000 visitors. It also offered tastings and giveaways at its booth.
Korean instant noodle brands are ramping up their efforts to enter the Indian market, where nearly 8.7 billion units of ramen are consumed annually. After successful expansions into China, the U.S., Japan, and Europe, these companies are now targeting India, a largely untapped market for them. Although global giants like Nestlé currently dominate the space, Korean ramen brands are capitalizing on the rising popularity of Korean pop culture, including K-pop and K-dramas, to establish their presence. Over the past four years, exports of Korean ramen to India have surged by over 200%, showing that the “home of curry” is developing a taste for Korean noodles.
Korean ramen brands have only recently begun to establish themselves in the Indian market. Samyang Foods entered in 2016, followed by Nongshim in 2017. However, they’ve faced substantial challenges due to Nestlé's stronghold. Nestlé introduced its Maggi brand to India in 1983, focusing on seasonings, instant soups, and noodles, and now commands a 60% share of the Indian instant noodle market. Other brands, such as ITC’s Sunfeast, Nissin, and Unilever’s Knorr, also have a solid foothold.
Despite these hurdles, there are signs that the market is starting to shift. In April, The Times of India reported a notable increase in Korean ramen consumption, which coincides with the growing popularity of K-pop and K-dramas in the country. Reflecting this trend, Nestlé's Maggi launched a new product inspired by Korean barbecue flavors last November, even including the Korean word for ramen on its packaging.
Data from the Korea Customs Service indicates that the export value of Korean ramen to India rose from $3.7 million (about 4.9 billion won) in 2019 to $11.28 million (15 billion won) last year, tripling in just four years. Nongshim achieved an average annual growth rate of 63% in India from 2020 to last year and aims to reach sales of $8.5 million (11.3 billion won) in India this year. Meanwhile, Samyang Foods, which entered Reliance’s premium hypermarkets last October, plans to expand to over 200 stores this year and expects a 45% increase in sales, reaching 15 billion won.
India’s unique food culture, with a long gap between lunch, typically around noon, and dinner, often at 8 or 9 p.m., has driven high demand for snacks like ramen and biscuits to stave off hunger. According to the World Instant Noodles Association (WINA), India consumed 8.68 billion units of ramen last year, making it the third-largest market after China and Indonesia and more than double the 4.04 billion units consumed in Korea.
India’s instant noodle market is growing faster than any other country’s, fueled by increasing urbanization and a young population seeking quick and easy meal options. Ramen has become a popular snack, and India was the fourth-largest consumer of ramen in 2022. However, last year, consumption surged by 1.1 billion units. Market research firm Mordor Intelligence predicts that India’s ramen market, valued at around $1.87 billion (2.5 trillion won) last year, will grow to about $3.8 billion (5.1 trillion won) by 2028.
