Teenagers in India represent the largest and most frequent snackers, making them a crucial and high-potential segment for snack brands to target. As the snacking landscape becomes more fragmented and competitive, teens’ openness to experimentation and desire for variety present a significant untapped market opportunity.
Therefore, this report explores the pivotal role snacks play in teenagers’ lives, delving into their ideal snack preferences in terms of flavour, texture, features and formats. It also identifies key snacking occasions that brands can leverage to effectively engage this dynamic and influential consumer group.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
- Snacking frequency and types of snacks consumed by teenagers over the last month
- Role snacks play in the daily lives of teenagers
- Key features that teenagers and their parents look for when choosing snacks for teenagers
- Potential innovations in snack flavours and textures that appeal to this demographic
Tap into this crucial cohort with bold flavours, multi-texture thrills and better-for-you twists. Be teens’ me- and we-time companion by fuelling social, screen-time and study moments.
Tulsi Joshi, Principal Food & Drink Market Research Analyst, India
Market Definitions
This Report explores the attitudes of teenagers (aged 13-17) towards packaged snacks. The report segments this group into younger teenagers (aged 13-15) and older teenagers (aged 16-17).
Snacks refers to both sweet and savoury snacks. Salty snacks include snacks made from vegetables, banana, corn, cassava, bean, rice, wheat or any other grains, along with nuts, popcorn, chips, snack mixes and salty biscuits/crackers. Sweet snacks are also included, like chocolate confectionery, sweet biscuits/cookies, fruit snacks, energy/cereal/snack bars, sweet bakery items, dairy ice cream and water-based ice lollipops/candies.
This Report explores the attitudes of teenagers (aged 13-17) towards packaged snacks*. The report segments this group into younger teenagers (aged 13-15) and older teenagers (aged 16-17).
* snacks refers to both sweet and savoury snacks. Salty snacks include snacks made from vegetables, banana, corn, cassava, bean, rice, wheat or any other grains, along with nuts, popcorn, chips, snack mixes and salty biscuits/crackers. Sweet snacks are also included, like chocolate confectionery, sweet biscuits/cookies, fruit snacks, energy/cereal/snack bars, sweet bakery items, dairy ice cream and water-based ice lollipops/candies.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Report definition
- What you need to know
- The outlook for snacks in India, 2026
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Overview
- World events that shaped today’s teens
- Teenagers are a strategic growth audience for snack brands
- The rise of India’s ‘little emperors’
- New frontiers for snacking brands with the rise of the ‘Little Emperor’ phenomenon
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ROLE OF SNACKS IN TEENAGERS’ LIVES
- Teens outpace other generations in snacking
- Graph 1: frequency of eating snacks in the last month, by age, 2025
- For teens, snacking is as much about social fun as it is about hunger
- Graph 2: snacking reasons, total vs teenagers, 2026
- Teens overindex on entertainment-driven snacking occasions
- Teens over-index on entertainment-driven snacking occasions
- Graph 3: reasons for consuming snacks, by age groups, 2025
- Graph 4: reasons for consuming snacks, by select age group, 2025
- Now: design snack packs for sharing
- Now: add conversation-worthy consumption ritual for ‘we-time’ snacking
- Now: group challenges can pique teens’ interest
- Now: learn from Pringles playbook on leveraging the burgeoning gaming culture
- Now: harness fandom culture
- Now: innovate offline activations that focus on student life with a twist of fun and humour
- Next: make snacks convenient for gamers
- Next: make screen time snacking experience mess-free
- Next: snack as social flex
- Future: offer focus-enhancing snacks for gamers
- Future: snacks can help teens combat digital addiction
- Graph 5: interest over time for select term , 2021-25
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SNACKING OCCASIONS IN TEENAGERS’ LIVES
- Mapping teen snacking occasions reveals new innovation spaces
- Correspondence analysis and how to interpret the chart
- Study snacks: younger teens seek satiety, older teens look for energy
- Now: satiety-led snacks can win younger teens’ study moments
- Graph 6: % of launches with high satiety claim, by select categories, 2023-25
- Now: fuel the study grind with energy-boosting snacks for older teens
- Graph 7: % of launches with high energy claim, by select categories, 2021-25
- Next: innovate with a range of healthy snacking to target affluent teens with active lifestyles
- Next: quick-commerce can enable snack brands to target specific occasions
- Future: mood-smart snacking
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FORMULATING IDEAL SNACKS FOR TEENS – FLAVOURS
- To cater to the adventurous palate of adult Gen Z, snacks have gotten spicier…
- Graph 8: select flavour of interest in salty snacks, by generation, 2025
- Graph 9: % of launches with spicy/chilli flavours in salty snacks, 2021-26
- …but for teens, make it spicy+ flavours
- Graph 10: flavours of interest in snacks, 2025
- Spicy flavour profile dominates snack launches; spicy+ flavours are an untapped opportunity in snacking
- Graph 11: % of launches with select flavour compnent group in snacks, 2021-26
- Graph 12: % of launches with select flavour component group in salty snacks, 2021-26
- Now: add a sour zing to spicy flavours
- Now: tap into the rising ‘swicy’ flavours
- Now: combine hot flavours with cheese
- Now: give an adventurous twist to snacking with intense sour flavours
- Next: Say Cheese! Make it a feast for the senses
- Future: collabs will influence flavour innovations in snacks
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FORMULATING IDEAL SNACKS FOR TEENS – TEXTURE
- Metro-dwelling teenagers are keen to try texture novelty in snacks
- Graph 13: % of consumers interested in trying select textures in snacks, by city tier, 2025
- In India, crunchy rules, but multi-texture is a white space in snacking
- Graph 14: top five texture launches chocolate confectionery, snacks, ice cream, biscuits/cookies, sweet bakery items, 2021-25
- Graph 15: % of launches combining crunchy textures with select textures, in chocolate confectionery, snacks, ice cream, biscuits/cookies, sweet bakery items, 2021-25
- Now: explore snacks that can offer crunch with a chewy texture
- Now: crunchy with gooey infill can induce trial among urban teens
- Now: add indulgence with super soft texture
- Now: crunchy and light can target second-screen munching occasions among teens
- Graph 16: select reasons for consuming snacks, by select consumer segments, 2025
- Next: appeal to novelty-seeking teenagers with offbeat/innovative textures
- Future: tailored textures – unlocking emotional connections with teen snackers
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FORMULATING IDEAL SNACKS FOR TEENS – FEATURES
- On the same team: teens and parents seek better-for-you, fun and shareable features in teenagers’ snacks
- Graph 17: top three features of an ideal snack for teenagers, by teens vs parents of teens, 2025
- Protein is mainstreaming: time is ripe to be overt about protein content, source and quality
- Graph 18: % of launches with select claim in snacks, chocolate confectionery, ice cream, biscuits/cookies, sweet bakery, 2021-26
- Next: protein + fibre is emerging; stand out by offering satiety with high protein and fibre formulations
- Graph 19: % of launches with select claim combination in food and drinks, 2021-26
- Now: low sugar is a growing niche, but take a covert approach towards sugar reduction
- Graph 20: % of launches with select claims in chocolate confectionery, biscuits/cookies, sweetbakery, snack bars, 2021-26
- Now: take a covert approach towards sugar reduction
- Next: protein + low sugar = a white space for sweet snacking in India
- Graph 21: % of launches with high protein and low sugar claim in chocolate confectionery, biscuits/cookies, ice cream, sweet bakery and snack bars, 2021-26
- Next: low calorie snacking will emerge with rising obesity
- Future: nutrient synergies will emerge to cater to teenagers’ unique developmental needs
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FORMULATING IDEAL SNACKS FOR TEENS – SNACK TYPES
- Potato chips reign supreme across ages, but sweet snacks give teens a run for their crunch
- Graph 22: types of snacks consumed in the last month, by age groups, 2025
- The sweet-to-savoury shift: teens trade sweet snacks for savoury as they and their palates mature
- Graph 23: types of snacks consumed in the last month, by age groups, 2025
- Graph 24: types of snacks consumed in the last month, by age groups, 2025
- Now: ways for sweet snacks to retain older teens – complex flavours, social trends and beverage-inspired innovations
- Next: Korean- and Japanese-inspired snacks formats will become mainstream
- Future: novel formats will be a premiumisation driver
- Key takeaways
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APPENDIX
- Report definition
- Consumer survey methodology
- Correspondence analysis
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