DS Group, one of the biggest FMCG conglomerates in India, has always manufactured nothing other than premium quality products. The multi-business corporation has established a plethora of successful brands across numerous categories for decades.
Not forgetting to mention, the DS Group businesses have a remarkably strong presence in various high-growth categories. Some of them include confectionery, spices and beverages, tobacco, dairy, hospitality, mouth fresheners, agroforestry, and packaging.
In this article, we will delve deeper into the famous hard-boiled candy by DS Group – Pulse.
The Journey of DS Group Venturing into Confectionery Business
Pulse is a raw mango-flavoured hard-boiled candy that comes with a tangy twist. The DS Group brand Pass Pass was launched in mid-2015. Neither the makers of Rajnigandha Pan Masala nor its rivals knew that Pulse was set for an onslaught.
Surprisingly, Pulse reached an exceptional sky-high value of Rs. 100 crore within eight months only! And that’s how this unique flavoured candy equalled the market valuation records of Coke Zero.
DS Group confectionery was determined to sell this candy at no lesser value than Re 1. After two years of being introduced to a country of 1.25 billion people, Pulse bagged an approximate value of Rs. 300 crores in sales. If the calculations are correct, then it clearly proves that almost every Indian has purchased this candy at least three times within two years.
However, it’s a rough translation; otherwise, this huge turnover is quite hard to believe.
Overview of Pass Pass Pulse
Pulse is a typical hard-boiled candy like all other competitors in the market. But what makes this candy stand out from the rest is its magical core that comes with an exceptional tangy twist.
The exotic fruity flavours combined with a tangy core have made Pulse a national favourite. Each flavour comes with a mouthwatering burst of tanginess that is not just peculiar but also full of fun.
Being a category breaker in the segment of hard-boiled candy, Pulse delivers a completely different experience. Firstly, you can taste a fruity flavour when you pop the candy inside your mouth. Eventually, you will peak into the tangy surprise that will make your facial expressions super fun!
Currently, Pulse candy is widely available in 5 mouthwatering variants, including – Kachcha Aam, Orange, Guava, Litchi, and Pineapple. As big fanatics of Pulse, we expect that the DS Group will introduce more exotic flavours in the future. Fingers crossed!
The bite-sized Pulse shots are available across all grocery and candy shops across India. So every time you want your tastebuds to indulge in a thrill ride, you can grab a Pulse in exchange for Re 1 only!
The Inception of the Magical Core
The DS Group Pulse became a favourite national candy soon after it was launched and reached the markets. Soon after its enormous success in raw-mango flavour, the manufacturers decided to combine the tangy core with exotic fruit flavours.
It is the tangy core that is driving consumers crazy. Most importantly, the “kala khattanamak” flavour in the core of the hard-boiled candy is making most people nostalgic. They possibly cannot believe how the street-side raw mango snack is now available as a candy.
Even though the candy was conceptualised in 2013, DS Group released it in 2015. Soon after introducing the candy to Indians, the product development team realised that raw mango was their most loved flavour.
At that time, the kachchaaam and mango flavours claimed a 50% share of the hard-boiled candy market. DS Group’s product development team also got insights that Indians love to savour Kachchaaam with mixed salt and spices. And that’s how the tangy powder-filled kachchaaam candy – Pulse, was born.
The Road Towards Sweet Success!
Developing a sales story for the salesman is imperative for low-price, high-volume products. This enables the salesperson to introduce a product at the outlet while the retailer pushes the trial to the potential customers.
As soon as the trials of Pulse started gaining traction, the product strength carried it forward. Furthermore, as a greater number of people started referring candies to their colleagues and friends, word of mouth started catching up.
While some savoured the candies as mouth fresheners after every lunch, some would consume them as a guilty pleasure. The word had set in, and people started going ga-ga over the same!