Indian chocolate confectionary market share - by company 2016
Cocoa production in India
In India, the cocoa crop had been grown commercially only since the 1970s and even then, it is grown primarily as an intercrop since it requires plenty of shade and a specific tropical climate. The country produced over 147.3 thousand metric tons of chocolate and cocoa powder during fiscal year 2016, out of which Andhra Pradesh produced over 7,000 metric tons of cocoa, followed by Kerala at 6,500 metric tons. That same year, the worldwide estimates of coca production amounted to approximately 3.97 million tons.
India’s sweet tooth
The retail sales of chocolate products across India amounted to approximately 1.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, up from around 1.6 billion dollars in the year 2016 and analysts estimated the figures to only grow over the next years. Extensive marketing and promotional strategies by chocolate manufacturers, a growing culture of gifting chocolates, and changing taste preferences of Indian consumers were some of the factors that accounted for this surge in the country’s chocolate confectionery market. For India's chocolate makers and consumers, the fun seems to have only just begun.