The MLM Blog Network: Tupperware Designs Products To Fit India Lifestyle and Culture

Made For India

Tupperware India started operations in India with products selected from its existing international portfolio. Within a few years, though, it had begun modifying products to appeal to Indian consumers and soon began designing specifically for the local market. The spice box is a classic example. Using existing modular containers, Tupperware created an ergonomically sound, rectangular spice box. It was a neat, space-saving design — and it bombed. The traditional spice box in India is made of metal and is round, with round containers inside. Feedback from the sales force revealed that consumers would accept a plastic alternative, but not an altered shape. Tupperware now sells a round version designed and manufactured in India.

Even the serving spoons in India are custom-made, points out Anshu Bagai, head of marketing for Tupperware India. “The shapes are very different from what is sold in other markets,” he says. “Indians have specific designs for serving rice, gravies and dry dishes.”

Tupperware India hasn’t just introduced new products in India, it has also added new materials. Typically, the company manufactures containers in polypropylene, a cloudy plastic. Given Indian consumer preferences, it has now introduced dinner sets in melamine and upgraded its factory to manufacture polycarbonate, a clear plastic. “Every market is different, but we find customization has to be of a higher degree in India,” Bagai says.