The biggest FMCG trend in 2025? Not healthier snacks or innovation in noodles. It’s direct-to-cart.
From peri-peri makhanas, artisanal chilli oils to ₹49 bars of chocolate, new-age FMCG brands are skipping the shelves and landing straight on your Instagram feed, Blinkit cart or WhatsApp inbox. It’s a simple game of niche, premium, D2C-first play.
Think Tagz, NOTO, The Whole Truth or Hocco. These brands don’t just sell you snacks, they sell you stories. ‘No palm oil’, ‘Zero added sugar’, ‘A Gujarati chip with Belgian truffle oil’. It’s FMCG made for urban anxiety and impulse purchases.
What has changed? The growth of e-commerce gave the small players direct access to households. They never needed space on Reliance Smart shelves; they needed a viral reel, an edgy brand voice and a quick-commerce plug-in.
Furthermore, they had complete control of the journey: price, packaging, data and post-purchase relationships. Low effort, weekly subscription snacks. Loyalty programs with free whatever.
And with Blinkit and Zepto prioritizing 10-minute munchies, they have put these names right at the top of the ‘Cravings’ tabs literally next to Red Bull and Lay’s. It’s critical independents going mainstream—in just minutes.
Legacy FMCG titans are staring agog at this competitive landscape. Some are trying to replicate it (hi, ITC’s new-age snacks) and some are acquiring these D2C brands (before the rocket ship takes off).
But really, the winners here are the consumers. You are discovering new food brands in the same way you discover music—online, fast, and through word of mouth.
So the next time you are reaching for your fifth jar of chilli crisp, or ordering ‘protein puffs’ during yet another boring Zoom call, just know: you are not snacking shopping—you are participating in FMCG 2.0.
