Finger on the Pulse: How a word-of-mouth candy brand made a ₹750-crore dent in the market

Pulse, a tangy candy, was launched in 2015 by Noida-based Dharampal Satyapal Group (DS Group). Demand for the ₹1 sweet spread like wildfire in the early days as word-of-mouth kicked in. In FY25, 7.5 billion of the candies were sold, bringing in ₹750 crore of revenue, DS Group said.

Pulse currently holds a 19% share of India’s ₹4,000-crore hard-boiled candy market, according to DS Group. It competes with the likes of Perfetti Van Melle’s Alpenliebe and ITC’s Candyman brands of confectionery, apart from Parle Products’ candy brands such as Melody, and those sold by Mondelez.

“Over the past three fiscal years, Pulse has registered an impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15% against a CAGR of 9% in the hard-boiled candy segment. This consistent growth in revenue highlights the brand's strong pull across both urban and rural markets, especially when the broader market dynamics have not been as buoyant," the company said.

India's overall confectionery market was worth worth ₹14,800-crore as of May, according to data from NIQ. The category posted 8% value growth in FY25, signalling continued resilience and consumer demand, NIQ said.

"This growth has been predominantly driven by increased consumption, with medium and large manufacturers playing a significant role. Hard boiled candies (HBC) and toffees remains the dominant segment with a double-digit growth," said Roosevelt Dsouza, head of customer success, India, NielsenIQ.

Going viral

Pulse is sold at 35 lakh outlets across India. The candy, initially launched in raw mango flavour, appeals to people across age groups. Its taste is suited to Indian palates, and it's one of many similar products that use Indian flavours such as jeera, tamarind, local spices, and mango. Over the years, it has been launched in more flavours as guava, orange, pineapple and litchi, and new formats such as 'shots' in the original raw-mango flavour.

In the initial years after its launch, Pulse candy prioritised a robust distribution thrust, focusing on both expansion and deeper market penetration. “Advertising has played a very little role for the brand. We are only doing activities that connect with our consumers. The typical role of marketing is not required," Rajiv Kumar, vice chairman, DS Group, said in an interview with Mint.

The DS Group also sells brands such as Catch spices and Chingles gum, apart from Pass Pass and Rajnigandha mouth fresheners. Two years ago it acquired the LuvIt brand of chocolates and confectionery. The company aims to achieve ₹5,000 crore in revenue for its confectionery segment by 2029. It crossed ₹1,000 crore in FY25, Kumar said.

What's next for Pulse?

The company will continue to expand the Pulse brand to other categories and formats, Kumar said. It recently launched a sugar-free variant and a tamarind flavour under the brand. It already sells formats such as jelly and soft chews. The company briefly launched tangy beverages under the Pulse brand but rolled it back, citing a lack of product-market fit.

“It is among the most distributed brands in India. We continue to grow, as India has 1.5 crore outlets, giving us a large headroom. It is a category based on distribution. We did not advertise but promoted the product at retail stores. Word of mouth has given us mileage," he said. The brand is also distributed in select overseas markets.

Citing high raw-material prices that make it hard for candy-makers to sustain the ₹1 price, Jain said the company was working towards upgrading consumers to ₹5. “It’s a price-up strategy—we are trying migrate customer from ₹1 to ₹5 and Rs10 multi-packs. ₹1 still remains a dominant part of the sale of the brand," he said.