Britannia, Naandi and GAIN - A public-private partnership for delivering nutrition through fortification in India

Multi-sectoral partnerships foster the development and distribution of appropriate micronutrient-rich foods by combining the know-how and expertise of various stakeholders and have been used in the production of staple foods and products targeted at vulnerable groups.

In India, iron-fortified biscuits for school-aged children were developed and distributed via a partnership between Britannia Industries, the Naandi Foundation and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition – GAIN. Biscuits were identified as a suitable vehicle for vulnerable populations as more than 50% of biscuits in India are consumed in rural areas.

GAIN provided technical advice and financing during the development and piloting of the fortified biscuits. Naandi distributed the biscuits to school-aged children via their midday-meals programme. Following the success of these biscuits in schools, Britannia began distribution of fortified biscuits throughout India. It is estimated that 2 billion packets of Britannia’s iron-fortified biscuits are now sold per annum in India.