New Delhi | Business & Consumer Markets: For nearly a decade, Lotus Biscoff occupied a rare and enviable position in the Indian consumer imagination. Globally recognised for its caramelised flavour and distinctive crunch, the biscuit was not part of India’s everyday snacking culture. Instead, it arrived through international travel, premium import stores, or personal connections returning from Europe or the Middle East. Its scarcity elevated it from a packaged food product to an indulgent experience, shared selectively and remembered distinctly.
That exclusivity made Biscoff’s official entry into the Indian market a highly anticipated development. As the brand expanded its presence across Indian retail shelves and e-commerce platforms, consumers welcomed what appeared to be a simple promise: wider access without compromising the experience that had built its global reputation. However, months after the rollout, a quieter yet significant consumer conversation has emerged one that is less about availability and more about perceived change.
Influencer Sahil Khattar cut through the marketing noise with a straightforward street experiment. He conducted blind taste tests with random people, offering them two biscuits: one made in Belgium, one made in India. He didn’t reveal which was which.
The results were telling. Almost everyone correctly identified the imported version as superior. Before even tasting, people noticed the Indian biscuit was visibly thinner, smaller, and significantly lighter in color, lacking the deep amber hue of proper caramelization.
The taste differences were even more pronounced. Participants described the Indian version as tasting like a “regular glucose biscuit,” with the iconic cinnamon and nutmeg spice notes almost completely absent. One person summed it up perfectly: “If I wanted a ₹10 glucose biscuit, I’d buy Parle. I buy Biscoff for the Biscoff taste.”
The texture analysis was equally damning. The Belgian original was “crunchy and dense,” maintaining its structure even when dipped. The Indian variant was “airy and crumbly,” with multiple people using the word “cheap” to describe how it felt in the mouth.
Pricing strategy has also played a role in shaping this perception. Internationally, Biscoff is positioned as a premium biscuit. In India, its entry pricing has been significantly more accessible, reflecting the realities of a competitive, volume-driven FMCG market. From a business standpoint, this approach supports rapid penetration and scale. From a consumer psychology perspective, however, lower pricing has subtly altered expectations.
For long-time fans, Biscoff was never an everyday biscuit. Its rarity contributed to its perceived luxury. As the product becomes more affordable and widely available, the emotional contract between brand and consumer evolves. The question that follows is not whether accessibility is desirable, but whether it inevitably signals compromise in experience.
This discussion extends beyond flavour into the realm of trust. Indian consumers today are increasingly value-conscious rather than purely price-sensitive. They understand economies of scale and localisation strategies, but they are also quick to notice perceived dilution. The concern is not that Biscoff has adapted to the Indian market many global brands do so successfully but whether that adaptation has altered the core reason consumers connected with the product in the first place.
Packaging further complicates this dynamic. The Indian variant closely mirrors Biscoff’s global visual identity, reinforcing continuity and familiarity. This consistency creates an implicit promise of sameness. When the sensory experience does not fully align with that expectation, the gap becomes part of the consumer story.
Importantly, this is not a controversy in the traditional sense. There have been no calls for boycotts or public backlash. Instead, what is unfolding is a nuanced market test of transparency, brand integrity, and how seriously global companies engage with the Indian consumer.
In an era where cross-border comparisons are effortless and digital conversations are permanently archived, perception management is as critical as product formulation. Micro-discussions sparked by a single reel can influence brand sentiment for months.
For Biscoff, the situation presents both a challenge and an opportunity. While some consumers feel that a beloved product may have changed, there is also scope for the brand to address perceptions through clarity and communication. In a market where honesty increasingly matters as much as flavour, transparency can reinforce long-term trust.
Ultimately, this is not just about a biscuit. It is about what happens when a global favourite becomes local and whether it remains the same brand consumers fell in love with.
