Modern Mithai_Ethonography Reasearch

Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology Report on MODERN MITHAI : MODERNIZATION OF TRADITIONAL SWEETS AND ITS PACKAGING Supervisor Prof. Vishvajit Pandya Report by P. Pavan Teja Masters in Design - 202014001

MODERN MITHAI 1

Pavan Teja 2 MODERN MITHAI : MODERNIZATION OF TRADITIONAL SWEETS AND ITS PACKAGING PAVAN TEJA . P Even in the modern world, India is often seen and referred to as a ‘Sweet Nation’ of the world, due to the high consumption of sweet-based items and dishes in the Indian cuisine. Indians are also known for their sweet tooth more often in India and also in other countries. India is a land of many cultures with over 169 large festivals celebrated every year, all types of sweets and/or Mithai1 have a very important role in these festivals and in our household since mythological ages of India. The packaging for this mithai is very important in order to establish their presentation of both the sweet and the brand/title. Since ages, the type of packaging has evolved due to the increase in value of the presentation of the sweets. Nowadays there are a variety of packaging available in the market, which focus on various elements like Wow factor, Aesthetic, Function, Brand value, Luxury and comfort based on the seller and the target consumers. This report is a deeper analysis of the way the packaging evolved and how it affects the consumption and value of the sweets along with the changes with the meaning of Mithai. Mithai ‘Sweets’ are an important part of the Indian life, it is easily one of the assets to play a major role in the local and regional traditions of an Indian life. Originating from the language of Hindi, ‘Mithai’ is more of an emotion than an ordinary sweet for Indians irrespective of their region or religion. Mithai is often seen as a compulsory participant in any special occasion, thanksgiving, traditional festivals, modern celebrations, casual meetups and even general 1 The traditional sweets or confectioneries in India, are commonly called Mithai (मिठाई). Mithai is a word originated from the language of Hindi.

MODERN MITHAI 3 sharing of wishes in between close ones. The various types of mithai found in India exceed more than thousands of original recipes2 and regional varieties, each being equally special and equally important in their own way. Apart from festivals or special occasions, Mithai holds a higher place in Indian beliefs and traditions, It is often seen a mother feeding sweet curd3 to the family member leaving for an exam or an important meeting as a sign of good luck for the day, this is one of the examples of how sweet is mixed up with the Indian culture and belief system, even though sweet curd is not an official sweet however it is considered as an Mithai, and is followed by majority of the Indian households since ancient times. Even though there were a lot of scientific explanations or modern interpretations on such beliefs, one of the famous interpretation was that curd is given to the people leaving the house is to cool their body for sustaining the hot Indian weather however even in the modern age, the sweet curd is still seen and followed as a sign of good luck. This shows the importance of Mithai in the long ladder of the Indian cultures and traditions. In Indian hospitality towards guests who visit the homes, A cup full of gulab jamun4 or any equivalent regional mithai is served, along with some cold water and other refreshments, as a sign of respect and also offering sweets is seen as a portrayal of the host’s affection and importance towards the guest. However, this is also followed in the modern day, where the gulab jamun or the mithai is replaced by modern day confectionery such as Chocolates, brownies or a sweet drink, Even though the traditional offerening is ‘modernised’5, The belief still remains that the host offers affection and respect towards their guest. The concept and meaning of the Mithai is changed and changing6 as the time passes, due to the introduction of various western confectionery and also innovations in Indian style of sweet making. This redefines the meaning of the Mithai but also keeping the value and role of mithai the same in an Indian household. The modern day confectionery consists of Modern sweets, Cakes, 2 Regional Sweets are special based on the region and the ingredients available in that region. Hence, this creates vast differences in North and South Indian sweets along with minor differences between each state. 3 Sweet Curd is a mixture of freshly made curd with addition of sugar. 4 Gulab jamun is a common sweet found in the Indian subcontinent. It is made out of fried chenna (milk solids and cheese) balls soaked in sweet rose-water flavoured syrup. 5 modernization is caused by the replacement of the traditional Mithai with the modern ‘confectionery’ 6 Already changed compared to previous Mithai but still changing due to the introduction of modernization.

Pavan Teja 4 Pastries, Brownies, Chocolates, Flavoured Biscuits and Flavoured drinks. The introduction of the modern day confectionery is mainly due to the development in the status and lifestyle of the people mainly in the Indian cities and eventually in nearby towns. Movies and television are also an important part of the influence in the spread of the modern confectionery in these areas. Businesses also try new methods and new types of dishes to attract the customers mainly focusing on the younger generation. Is it wrong? Well no, many agree that the modernization of the sweets is a necessary step of the development of Indian cities and Indian way of living7. However the many others believe that the concept of Mithai is long lost, as the modern day confectionery and fancy sweets are not considered mithai. Well, apart from the difference of opinions of numerous Indians, it is undeniable that the modernization of sweets have affected the modern day lifestyle and modern way of living, both in terms of option of taste and status level on the point of social standing. Apart from the traditional and modern differences of a sweet and confectionery, there is another aspect of money which is very important in terms of determining the social status and value of the individual associated with the sweet itself. These led to the construction of the new social groups and businesses of a ‘Bakery’ and ‘Cake shops’ which are a bigger space in itself, these boost the concept of social value and status even further than the sweets and confectionery offered in the space. Availability of the world data in the palm of our hands also increased the chance of influence of the western concepts of gifts and offerings among the younger generation audience, however apart from the Indian household present in India and all around the world, sweets were never more than just a type of food/desert, Arabian culture8 is the only other culture apart from the Indian culture to have sweets integrated into the majority of the cultural beliefs and traditions, however India outclass arabian culture both in terms of ‘Cultural value of Sweets or Mithai’ and also the percentage of consumers based on the cultural beliefs and traditions. It is important to grasp the importance of modernization of Mithai along with the drawback associated with the modernization. 7 Indian way of living is basically following our culture and traditions mixed with daily life and beliefs. 8 Arabian countries stand second after India in terms of cultural value towards Sweets.

MODERN MITHAI 5 History of Mithai Some Indian confectionery desserts from hundreds of varieties are a part of ancient India. Sugar and desserts have a long history in India: by about 500 BCE, people in India had developed the technology to produce sugar crystals from sugarcane. In the local language, these crystals were called khanda (खण्ड), which is the source of the word candy. Ancient literature from India mentions feasts and offerings of mithas9 (sweet). Rigveda10 mentions a type of sweet manufactured from Barley known as apupa or Malpua, wherever barley flour was either cooked in pure ghee or boiled in water, and dipped in honey, thus malpua is formed. One of the many complete living texts existing, with intensive descriptions of Indian sweets and the way to prepare them, is the Manasollasa11. This ancient cyclopedia on food, music and alternative Indian arts is additionally called Abhilasitartha Cintamani12. Manasollasa was composed concerning 1130CE, by the Hindu King Somesvara III. The document describes meals that embrace a rice pudding that are known as Payasam13 in languages of the Indian landmass is termed kheer. The document mentions seven sorts of rice. Manasollasa also describes recipes for Golamu (a doughnut from flour that's mixed with cardamom), Gharikas (a fried dish made of black gram flour and sugar syrup), Chhana (fresh cheese and rice flour soaked in sugar syrup with strained thick milk mixed with buttermilk) and plenty of others sweet recipes. Manasollasa mentions various other milk-based sweets, beside describing the 11th-century art of producing milk solids, condensed milk and methods for souring milk to produce sweets. The origin of sweets within the Indian regions have been traced to the period around 500 BCE, records present, raw sugar and refined sugar were produced and used to make sweets. By 300 BCE, Official documents of the kingdom acknowledged Five types of sugar. Around the period of Gupta Dynasty (300–500 CE), sugar was being created not solely from sugar cane, but 9 Mithas is literally meant as Sweet or Sweetness. Mithas is used for the word sweet for many centuries until it changed to the word ‘Mithai’ 10 The Rigveda or Rig Veda is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns. It is one of the four sacred canonical texts of Hinduism known as the Vedas. 11 Sanskrit: the delight of a concept,or delight of mind and senses 12 Abhilaṣitartha Cintamaṇi means the magical stone that fulfils desires. 13 Payas ( In Sanskrit: पायसं or Kheer as it is called in Hindi), Recipes for making it were found in the 11th century Manasollasa.

Pavan Teja 6 also from alternative plant sources like palm. Sushruta Samhita Vedic literature records show sugar production being made from mahua flowers, barley (yavasa) and honey and also Sugar-based foods were conjointly used in temple offerings as bhoga for the deities that, after the prayers, became prasad14 for devotees, the poor, and for the guests of the temple. As the traditions from the ancient Indian were developing, availability of sweets and sugar based edibles were integrated into the belief system, also due to the fact that sweets were reasonably higher priced in those days, buying and sharing of sweets were performed only during the festivals and/or any special occasions in their household. There were a lot of changes and development in terms of both sweets and its packaging every since ancient times, however the concept of packaging was popularised recently during the previous 400 years and had a drastic change during the time of british rule as industrialization using machines were introduced around that time. Even before the period of british rule, Packaging was an important concept for the sweet vendors and different types of packaging was seen for the same sweet from the same vendor, for example the king or the landlord of the region would get sweet packed in a high quality silk, whereas an ordinary citizen would get their sweets packed in a cotton cloth even though the sweets are literally the same. The concept of packaging was important as it solely controls the presentation of the offering of the sweet. In any period of time, Sweets packed in a good quality packaging tend to be seen as a good quality sweet and same with the low quality packaging. The concept might differ when it comes to the local shops who are known for their quality and taste of their sweets, Not so good packaging might also work when their main focus of customer attraction is based on the sweet itself. Even before and during the british rule, there were some sweet vendors very well known for their quality and taste of their sweets, some of these vendors have continued their legacy even in today’s modern society, however some were shut down due to the disbalance and failure of adaptation to the changes in the society due time. It is interesting to note that these traditional sweets and traditional shops which survived have adapted to the changes but the question arises, adapted to what extent? 14 Prasada, variantly spelled as Prasadam, Prasad and Prasada, is a material substance of vegetarian food that is a religious offering in both Hinduism and Sikhism. It is normally consumed by worshippers after worship.

MODERN MITHAI 7 Identified Questions In the pursuit of studying the value of Sweets and Mithai along with the types of packaging of sweets and how they changed from ancient times until the modern day with the influence of many factors like technology, cultural development, migration of people, television and Web etc. In this process, there are a few important questions that have been identified - 1. Why and how modernization of sweets happened? 2. Has modernization led to an incline/decline of sweets quality, quantity and frequency of consumption? 3. How and why did the new type of packaging and presentation of sweets happen? 4. What does the rise of cake shops mean to the sweet shops? How do they affect each other? 5. How do cakes and chocolates fit in the 'Mithai' situation? Both in cultural and social perspective? 6. How has westernization melded into the idea of 'Mithai'? Based on the above identified questions, the idea behind the modernization and the evolution of packaging and the importance of the same can be noted. The process of ethnographic research is started by the observation of the Sweets, Sweet vendors, Idea behind different types of sweet shops, initial analysis etc and organising the data using the different categories of sweet vendors for ease of understanding and managing the data.

Pavan Teja 8 Mithai - Sweets of India India is a nation of mixed cultures and numerous festivals all over the year in different religions. Despite the differences in the festivals and cultural customs, Sweet is an important element of the festival celebrations, also sweets are highly valued in order to express affection and thankfulness towards someone on any occasion. So, it’s not surprising to learn that there are many types of sweets available in India. But based on the space, method of preparation, packaging and social value, sweets can be divided into five types - 1. Traditional Indian Sweets 2. Fancy / Exotic Sweets 3. Pre-packed Sweets / Gift sets 4. Chocolates 5. Brownies and Cakes Traditional Indian sweets are the same recipes of sweets used since ancient times with slight variations and modifications but the sweet is not changed drastically. Changing the aesthetics of the traditional sweet and with high modifications with exotic ingredients give Fancy and Exotic sweets, These sweets are also packed with special packaging to form the gift sets but also these gift sets contain exotic dry fruits and/or varieties of other sweets along with the main sweet dish. Apart from Indian sweets, Western concept of sweets contain Chocolates based desserts, Brownies and Cakes which are considered as modern sweets in the Indian market by the younger generation, as the availability of varieties and options are more in the chocolate based desserts and also Influence of western movies and television shows has helped the chocolate, brownies and cakes integrated into the Indian market. This integration does not put pressure in the already existing sweet shops directly as the approach towards sweets and cakes are very different but still indirectly slowly turning the younger generation

MODERN MITHAI 9 towards them might be an issue in the long run for the sweet shops if there is no adaptation based on the society and market. Mithaiwala - The Sweet Vendors of India India being a land of vast cultures and religions, there are a lot of different types of people depending on their region based on a similar occupation, If we talk about the sweet vendors or Mithaiwala15 is specific, then sweet vendors and the type of sweet they sell or the methods of production or marketing or even selling the sweet change drastically due to the various factors like Space (region, society), regional culture, local traditions, personal beliefs, Demand and supply of sweets, Financial establishment and Income through the sweets sale etc It is quite fascinating to see how many types of sweet vendors we get to see in the different regions of a state in India. However each and every type of mithaiwala is different from each other and not exactly the same, which makes stereotyping the stakeholder even difficult or categorising the type of sweet vendors currently based in India. But focusing on the majority of the similarities in between the sweet vendors like Type of shop, Type of sweets sold, Target audience of the shop, location of the shop, Price of the sweets, Ambience of the shop and the brand marketing of the shop, we can separate and manage the sweet vendors into six main categories - 1. Street sweet vendors. 2. Homemade sweets vendors . 3. Local / regional sweet shops. 4. Locally famous / High status chain of sweet shops. 5. Premium / Exotic / Luxury sweet shops. 15 Mithaiwala is the term used to describe the sweet vendor in India. Mithaiwala origins are based on the hindi word sweet, ‘Mithai’.

Pavan Teja 10 6. Other Confectionery - Bakery, Cake shops. The above six categories of sweet vendors are based on the above criteria of focus for the ease of study. Each category is a much wider space in itself with various differences and methods of practise however these major categories are the one which are found and noticed in India by the society. Even with the drastic changes in between the categories itself, the basic type of sweets available are often similar with the difference being in the aesthetic and the taste of the sweet available, along with this each shop in every category (majority of the shops) try to have their own or signature style/taste of sweet or even in the brand or marketing of the shop to stand out in the market among other shops of their category. The market competition of the shops are often among the categories itself and not with other category shops, as the value and status of the shops is unanimously defined and is pretty much known to everyone in the region / particular state of location. Apart from the similarities in the sweets available in these categories, the major noticeable differences is seen in the packaging and presentation of the sweets and the ambience of the shop, most of them are focused on the experience of the customer as a part of their brand identity and hospitality toward their customers. Street sweet vendors - India is famous for the various types of street food available with good quality food and cheaper prices but it is not limited to ordinary street food but also Sweets. Street sweets have a special place in the hearts of the Indians especially for the majority of the citizens who are more preferable to have cheaper and tastier food. The street vendors usually have very minimal varieties of sweets to sell, this changes depending on the seller to seller but the most common sweet sellers have only one type sweet which is either carried on a mobile cart with wheels or is based on a street side space. The mobile cart seller is for the more practical type of sweet which is usually made in their house or a remote shop and then carried around various busy or crowded streets and places to sell the sweets, selling only one or two types of sweets gives them the credibility of speciality in that particular sweet. For the vendors

MODERN MITHAI 11 who are based on a road side either with a small box16, where they set up the cooking equipment along with the box with the display for the sweets. This is much more practical for the sweets which are instantly made and served hot. Most common places to find these sellers are in a crowded area/local market or adjacent to a local sweet shop. As these types of sellers sell one type of instantly made sweets, the sweet shop keeper usually won’t mind and some even mentioned that doing so only increases the customers for both the local shop and the street seller. Most common examples for the street sellers are for the sweets like Peechu mithai, Jilebi, Barfi, Coconut based sweet, Bobatlu, Imarti etc17. More often it is also seen that there are stalls selling instantly made Hots18 prepared next to these street sweet vendors, creating an ecosystem in a crowded area which usually is available during the evenings when the crowd is at its peak. Homemade sweet vendors - Famously known as Swagruha sweets19 , This is another popular type of sweet shops available which specializes in homemade sweets and hots, Homemade sweets are sweets which are made using home techniques and home recipes, generally few households have their own recipe which is carried on for generations, this makes these Swagruha sweets very unique by the seller for their taste and varieties. The popularity of these sellers are solely based on the quality of the sweets and the taste they provide with every variety. Most of the sweets available with these sellers are pretty common with the regional varieties which makes the focus of interest towards the taste and uniqueness of the recipe provided by the seller. The space of these are usually set up as a small shop in the local colony or society but majority of the sellers have the space set up in their house and operate in their locality. Based on the popularity of the sweets and the seller, with the word of mouth, customers increase beyond their locality, however marketing of the brand or shop is generally not followed by these homemade sweet sellers. Swagruha is a pretty 16 Small box is the wooden cupboard/shop which is portable and can be either carried on their back or pushed around with the help of wheels. 17 Mentioned sweets are some of the famous street sold sweets in the state of Telangana and also in some parts of India. 18 Hots is a general term used in India for hot snacks, which include snacks like samosa, kachori, Mirchi, other fried snacks. 19 Swagruha sweets literally means homemade sweets. As the name suggests, they are sweets made in a home using home methods and household / home recipes.

Pavan Teja 12 famous name used in most parts of the regions with hundreds of shops however neither these shops nor the sellers are related or franchised, which makes swagruha more of a general term for household sweets and not a brand or chain of shops. It is pretty much guaranteed by the locals that the taste of sweets differ from each swagruha shop with another. Swagruha sellers have a defined set of sweet varieties produced like Sweet Vennundalu, Gavvalu, kajjikayalu, Sunundalu, Boondi laddu, Ariselu, Putharekulu, Kakinada kaja, Chandrakala etc which are the traditional sweets of the region and are most common in almost every sweet shop. Local / regional sweet shops - Another type of easily available sweet shops are the local sweet business establishments which are confined to their local society or region. These sweet shops are like the typical sweet shops according to the locals. These shops are not that unique with any special trait or dish or special sweet. However these local shops are pretty much accepted by the local customers for getting a sweet for any occasion or gifting someone. These shops don't have that high status in society but are neither low status. These local shops stand in a special place in society, the space of the shops are usually decorated in normal days and more fancy decorations during a festival or occasions. These shops also provide hots, refreshments, instant snacks, gift packages, custom sweet packages along with modern confectionery and Sweet drinks. This type of sweet shops can be seen as a perfect blend between a traditional sweet shop and modern sweet shop however the aesthetics of the sweets and ambience of the space are more inclined towards the modern side. One of the popular names in this category is the Sri Balaji sweet bandar , there are a lot of shops with this name available in which some are connected or sellers are related and remaining are individual shops with the same brand name. These shops attract the audience with help of the sweet taste along with the branding of the shop in the local areas. Title of the shop itself has a brand value but is profitable only if the local customers accept the taste factor of the sweets from these shops. The only unique factor of these local shops is the gift packs which are either pre-packed or can be customised, as the gift packs are of a higher quality packaging and are more appealing to the customers as a gift.

MODERN MITHAI 13 Locally famous / High status chain of sweet shops - As the title suggests, these categories contain the shops which hold a high value in the society both in the branding and the quality of sweets. With a wide chain of shops in the state, these shops attract the audience through their brand name itself. The varieties of sweets available in these shops are generally nothing special but they are more focused on the aesthetically pleasing sweets with good quality and taste. The prices are generally higher than local shops and homemade sweets but there is no shortage of customers. One famous example of this category is the G.Pulla Reddy Sweets shop which has over thousands of branches all over india and even few branches in america, also providing worldwide shipping. The brand value of these shops provide the packaging with a higher status. Average customers usually buy these sweets for gifting it to someone or for a very special occasion in the family. With the effect of modernization, these shops have adapted to the modern day society by focusing on the packaging and presentation along with developing aesthetics constantly to stand out in the market among other sweet shops. These high status sweet shops have competition with both local sweet shops and premium sweet shops, as local sweet shops are also developing their marketing and branding strategies with the cost of local shop sweets, which is a direct competition for these shops who provide same sweets at higher cost. These shops cannot compete directly with the premium sweet shops as the strategy, aesthetic and audience of the premium sweet shops are on a completely different path. Quality and taste is a must but these shops focus more on the branding and marketing of the shops. However they still hold a more reputable status in the society with the largest customer base among the other categories of sweet sellers. These shops also sell hots, pickles, refreshments and instant sweets with a higher price tag but good quality and pure taste. It can be said that these shops even with the competition from two other categories, it has its own value and satisfied customer base to keep the shop running. Latest tactics of the shop along with the above said points is to provide personalisation of sweets in the box along with assorted sets of sweets as gift boxes and mainly the packaging with focus on the brand name and quality of the sweet box. Premium / Exotic / Luxury sweet shops - These categories of sweet shops offer new types of sweets which are either modified front the traditional sweets or are the new recipe of new Indian sweets. These shops focus more on the customer

Pavan Teja 14 experience and personalised sweets rather than the huge audience base. The space for this category of sweet shops are generally in a higher class society and the target audience are generally rich families and large tech companies as the prices of the sweets are way higher than other categories. The shops have a luxury ambience and a very comfortable atmosphere for the customers to provide them with the satisfaction and premium experience. Almond house, Dadu’s sweets are few examples of the premium sweet shops in Hyderabad, Telangana. Talking to the manager of the shop, it was revealed that the main idea behind the sweet serving is to let the customer experience other senses such as visual through aesthetics of sweets, smell through nice aroma of sweet, touch through good texture of sweet and premium packaging and finally taste through the sweet itself, So taste being the fourth sense a customer experiences, these shops focus on the other three senses which come before the taste and thus giving the customer the ultimate satisfaction and experience. Apart from the sale of sweets among the higher society customers, premium weddings and functions, the sweets are always bulk ordered by the bigger tech companies to provide sweets with custom packaging of the brand name along with the company name during the occasions of festivals or company functions. Apart from the premium sweets, the shops also provide with exotic dry fruits, chocolates and also specially made sweets , cakes made using those exotic ingredients. The value of the packaging and sweets are higher compared to high status sweet shops however the brand name of the high status sweet shops resonate more in the customers, as most of the customers for these premium shops are either rich people or big clients like companies with bulk orders. These shops also have the modern day sweets or modern mithai which is the chocolate based brownies, cakes and pastries which are now integrated into the Indian society due to the modernization. This can also be seen as the adaptation of the sweet shops and trying to provide as much of premium varieties as possible. Other Confectionery Shops - Apart from the traditional sweets which are often referred to as Mithai, there are also new types of sweets available in the market, which are cakes, brownies, pastries, chocolates, candy etc. These are definitely sweets but the question is whether they substitute the emotional value of Mithai? These confectionery are an influence of western cultures and cuisines, most of the influence is happening due to the movies and television shows from the west

MODERN MITHAI 15 which show their cuisines and taste of sweets. Due to this western influence, these cakes and brownies are seen as the new age sweets and are often given more importance than traditional sweets by the younger generation customers, It’s true that they have a different taste and texture compared to the Indian sweets and can be taken as a snack or desert but the emotion provided by offering Indian sweets to the guests or a mother feeding sweet curd to her child before exam is difficult to be replaced by the modern confectionery. The space of these shops are often well decorated with very good ambience to attract younger customers, also in most places these sweets cost a lot compared to Indian sweets and are often justified by the customers that these cakes are much more sweet and more ‘chocolatey’ than any ordinary Indian sweet. However it is also seen that these are not entirely western sweets as a lot of these bakeries and cake shops are producing recipes using indian ingredients and Indian flavours mixed with western flavours. Now, these shops are neither a competition for traditional sweets nor are they completely far off the traditional sweets market. These confectionery are often taken as a snack or for a party but are rarely ever used in a cultural sense. Prices being higher than an ordinary Indian sweet also present the market value of these sweets at a higher place than Indian sweets therefore, showing the cake shops and bakery as a higher status space than an ordinary sweet shop. Questionnaire In order to collect required data, based on the above mentioned identified questions, a set of open ended questions are formed as a questionnaire to interview the shopkeepers, workers and customers. The data collected will be further analysed and then used to determine the answers of the identified questions. The points of questionnaire are as follows - 1. Personal and Family Details. 2. Period of running the Sweet cart/shop/business + Background of the subject/Owner. 3. Reason for opening/running a sweet shop + Details.

Pavan Teja 16 4. Employees/Workers details + reason of employment. 5. Space details - reason, customer base, rush hours, cost of maintenance. 6. Space and Shop details - Season and Non-season 7. Approach towards customers? quality/ taste/ experience/ personalization/ seasonal / bulk. 8. How did the modernization happen with their shop? Is it a forced situation or personal choice? 9. Opinion on the modernization of the sweets? Effects of the same on their business? 10.Inspiration or Idea behind the packaging of the sweets. 11.Type of packaging used? Why? Effects of use of particular packaging? 12.Difference between the traditional way of packaging and modern way of packaging? 13.Thoughts on the Cake and Chocolates being a major part in the current market. 14.How does cake and chocolate fit in the Sweet family? 15.Does cake and chocolate occupy the traditional place of sweets in Indian homes? Persona After interviewing and collecting the data from the sweet shop vendors, gatekeepers, workers/employees and customers. Persona is created of the shopkeeper, worker and customer to give an insight of the user and their ideology towards the modernization of sweets and its packaging. Two personas of each stakeholder is created for a wider perspective.

MODERN MITHAI 17 Persona 1 : Sweet shop vendor / Shopkeeper - Street vendor Mobile cart - street vendor ● Name: Rasheed Mohammed ● Age: 45 yr ● Family: Wife (housewife), Four Kids (Two working, Two studying) ● Business : 15 years of selling sweets on a cart. (Previously worked as a wage labour until the factory shut down). ● Reason for starting a sweet business on a cart is to provide for the family and not getting another job made him start the business. ● Sells sweet by pushing the cart and roaming around crowded places. ● No employees however sometimes the elder son goes to sell sweets instead of the subject. ● Space: Changing space depending on the crowd and peak timings. ● Sweet: Sells Peechu mithai packed in small packets for 10/- rupees each. ● Customers: Repeating customers due to likability towards the taste. Set timings in areas based on crowd. ● Forced modernization in terms of packaging. Used to sell in rolled up newspapers but due to modernization use of plastic covers is implied. ● Opinion: “Modernization is a common phenomenon weather we like it or not, better go along with it to earn money because business needs to survive” ● Effects of modernization: Additional cost of plastic covers. ● Packaging: Plastic covers tied with thread, Customers have increased due to change of packaging as it looks more clean and hygienic compared to a paper roll. ● Difference between traditional and modern packaging is that paper costs less and is of less effort to pack compared to plastic covers, however plastic packaging increased sales. ● “Cake and chocolates are sweets, they do not affect my business. Children and teen love to eat cake and chocolates more than traditional sweets” ● “Peechu mithai is not very traditional for children and teen, so sales are never low if we know the right area to sell”

Pavan Teja 18 Persona 2 : Sweet shop vendor / Shopkeeper - Local Sweet shop. Shop name: Sri Balaji Mithai Bhandar ● Name: Sonum Raj ● Age: 27 yr ● Family: Recently married, No kids ● Business : Family business run by Sonum Raj and younger brother Mulkesh Raj (24yr). ● Family business for nearly 30 years but relocated after sister’s marriage. ● Famous local sweet shop- sells Sweets, Hots, Gift sets, Fancy sweets, Chocolates and Biscuits. Also marriage and bulk orders. ● Two employees - Hindu, Prepare the sweets and also cleans the shop. ● Space: Main road, crowded area in a residential colony. Own shop. ● Sweet: All types of sweets, speciality in milk based sweets and Gift sets. ● Customers: Local residents mainly for milk based sweets, also passerby for instant sweet cups or refreshments, children and teens for chocolates and karachi biscuits. ● Modernization was not forced, needed to remodel the business structure and packaging while relocating the shop. ● Opinion: “Modern and attractive packaging is important as most of the customers buy sweets to gift someone, so good packaging is very important. Also taste and freshness is needed, especially for repeat customers” ● Effects of modernization: Change of packaging improved the quantity of customers especially for gift sets. Repeat customers care about the quality of sweets more than packaging itself. ● Packaging: Ordinary packaging for repeat customers, Special packaging if gifting it to someone, Gift sets with assorted sweets and dry fruits. ● Difference between traditional and modern packaging is the quality of the box has changed from tough and heavy cardboard to thin yet strong cardboard sheets. Printing of brand names is possible in modern packaging. ● “Cake and chocolates definitely count as sweets, Addition of chocolates in the shop increased younger generation customers”

MODERN MITHAI 19 Persona 3 : Sweet shop Employees - High status local shop. Shop name: G. Pulla reddy sweets. ● Name: Pooja Reddy ● Age: 23 yr ● Family: Unmarried and Part time student. ● Business : Started working in the sweet shop for 2 years. ● Reason to work in a sweet shop: Shop manager is a family friend so got the job in the sweet shop. ● Sells traditional Indian sweets and Hots. Specialised in custom orders. ● Other employees include one muslim guy to clean the shop twice a day and one girl to pack sweets along with the subject. ● Space: Shop situated on the main road of the residential area. ● Sweet: Sells all types of sweets, good quality and higher price. Sweets are not prepared in the shop but are transported from the main godown. ● Customers: Brand name attracts customers. High customer base. Repeating customers are frequent due to the quality of sweets. ● Modernization was not forced, being a large sweet shop chain, packaging ought to change every year to attract customers. Packaging is very important for business development and brand extension. ● Opinion: “Modernization is a good thing, as it shows the development of the country and how far we have come” ● Effects of modernization: Increase in business indirectly due to branding and modern packaging. ● Packaging: Changes frequently but the basic design is a high quality cardboard box with bright color outside and Branding of the shop. ● “Cake and chocolates are sweets but not mithai, Indian have a special place for mithai which cannot be replaced with cakes and brownies. These are just trendy to attract teens but not really a Indian household type sweet” ● “Instead of adding cake and chocolates in our shop, we prefer improving the customer experience and quality of sweets because the shop stand for good quality traditional sweets”

Pavan Teja 20 Persona 4 : Sweet shop Employees - Bakery. Shop name: Bakers Inn. ● Name: Sai Prasanna ● Age: 28 yr ● Family: Unmarried, Son of the bakery but still employee. ● Business : Started working in the bakery for nearly 6 years. ● Reason to work in a bakery: Son of the owner but treated as an employee and also paid like an employee. ● Sells cakes, pastries, party orders, other snacks, cold drinks, Ice creams. ● Other employees include two guys, no specific job, just helping customers and providing them with their order. ● Space: Shop is situated beside a college and near to many shopping malls, bakery is always crowded except for afternoon. ● Sweet: Do not prepare anything except for cakes and pastries. ● Customers: mainly college students and young couples, also people from the malls. ● Modernization was part of business expansion, developed an ordinary bakery into a brand . ● Opinion: “Modernization is a good thing especially in the businesses of bakery or cake shops” ● Packaging: packaging is important but taste and freshness is more important. Pastries get ordinary boxes and cakes get printed boxes. ● “Cake and chocolates are a sign of modern sweets, may or may not be seen as a mithai by many but they are a part of modern Indian society” ● “Cakes, brownies, chocolates might be a new phase for sweets in India but it is a long journey to occupy the place of mithai in India” ● Westernisation of sweets is important to survive the market, developing the business according to the demand of the customer is required.

MODERN MITHAI 21 Persona 5 : Customer - Homemade Sweet shop. Shop name: Sridevi Swagruha Foods ● Name: N. Lakshmi ● Age: 38 yr ● Family: Married, One kid. ● Visits sweet shops occasionally for a festival or a function. ● Prefers homemade sweets for their taste and lower prices. ● Taste and quality is important, packaging is only important for gifting someone, or else it doesn't matter as long as it’s hygiene. ● Space: This Homemade sweet shop is located inside a residential colony. Very far from the main road. ● Sweet: Few types of traditional sweets, Custom order accepted. ● Customers: Local residents who know about the shop and also people referred by previous customers. ● “Modernization is not followed, as there is no point to it”. ● Opinion: “Customers need good quality and tasty, packaging is not that important” ● Effects of modernization: Does not affect the homemade sweet business, as it is focused more on the taste and quality. ● Packaging: Uses ordinary plastic covers to pack sweets and hots. ● Difference between traditional and modern packaging is that the ordinary plastic covers cost less which makes the sweets cost reasonable, printed packaging is not that important and it's also expensive. ● “Cake and chocolates count as sweet snacks, but traditional sweets are special to Indians and Indian culture which cannot be replaced by cakes and chocolates”

Pavan Teja 22 Persona 6 : Customer - Premium Sweet shop. Shop name: Almond House ● Name: Anila Sai Kumar ● Age: 26 yr ● Family: Unmarried. ● Visits sweet shops frequently to buy sweets for casual consumption. ● Prefers premium sweets as they offer unique varieties of exotic sweets. ● “Experience is important which is delivered in this sweet shop”. ● Space: The almond house is situated in a rich society, the shop is huge with luxurious ambience and attractive decors. ● Sweet: Premium range of traditional sweets, Exotic sweets with fancy aesthetics. ● Customers: High profile clients, Big companies, High society people. ● “Modernization is the key for better experience, Moment from entering the shop until the order is packed and leaving the shop, the entire experience is amplified due to the technological modernization” ● Opinion: “High profile customers need personalisation and experience along with quality and taste” ● Effects of modernization: Increase in the scope of branding and marketing with the help of modern packaging with higher quality materials like velvet, silk and hand made paper.. ● Packaging: Uses various types of high quality packaging and custom packaging for bulk orders. ● Difference between traditional and modern packaging is that the personalisation is available with the modern packaging giving the customer more options to choose from. ● “Cake and chocolates count as sweets, Mithai is relative from family to family, so difficult to pinpoint the definition of mithai with respect to the modern day society”

MODERN MITHAI 23 Packaging and Presentation Modernization was mainly seen in the packaging of the sweets and presentation, the reason for the modernization is mainly for the expansion of the business and attracting the customers, some shop vendors adapted to modernization due to sole reason of surviving in the market, As the society is developing further with evolving cultures and technology, along with influences from foreign cultures and entertainment media, the impact of the western culture is clearly visible. It’s true that with the evolving lifestyle of the people, expectations with the experience of sweets is widely appreciated as it counts to the satisfaction of the self. Many shope vendors, using their packaging and their presentation of sweets are focused on providing the ultimate satisfaction and customer experience. However, street vendors and homemade sweet vendors are not inclined to that, as they believe the main purpose of a customer buying a sweet is for good quality and taste, also that many of the customers are not that concerned about the packaging as long as it’s decent and hygienic. It is also said that the savings on the printed packaging or high quality packaging can be effective on the prices of the sweets itself, many of the bigger sweet shops have higher rates due to one of the reasons being the packaging cost per box. So, smaller scale shops are focused on the presentation and satisfaction of the customers through their taste and quality of the sweets. Packaging is important indeed as we have seen through various personas on how the change of packaging or implementation of modernization of the packaging have increased the consumption of sweets and improved their customer base. Customers however prefer a decent and good packaging as they want to experience the presentation and also they believe that while gifting the sweets to someone, experiences play an important role towards the overall satisfaction. In the case of frequent buyers, the taste and quality of the sweets is the element of attraction, rather than the fancy packaging however the mindset or the thinking of the Indian consumers or regular customers is to choose the better option of getting more choices than the option of getting just good sweet for a similar price. This also led to many to slightly change their packaging to attract customers with improved satisfaction.

Pavan Teja 24 Conclusion Modernization is an important aspect of one’s life as it is the bridge between the past, present and the ideology of the future. Modernization makes us realise the importance of the past, values the power of technology and thinking in the present and let’s us plan for the near future. Similarly modernization of the sweets happened eventually with minor changes and upgrades in order to stand out in the market, this led to the current state of modernized sweets and packaging. One of the main reasons apart from the external influences, is the developing society and changing people’s lifestyle, which tend to change the way sweets are seen and served. Modernization has definitely led to the incline in the quality of sweets both in terms of taste and aesthetics, which gradually led to the increase in consumption of sweets. Packaging and presentation of sweets after modernization, spread into various different types and designs of packaging leading to the increasing Gifting of sweets. Apart from gifting, presentation of sweets became an important part of customer experience and is playing an important role in creating satisfaction for the customer. In no way, I am saying that the quality of sweets or packaging was bad or unsatisfactory before the modernization, my point is that it just helped boost the consumption of sweets and improve customer experience. But this modernization along with the western influence made possible for the entry of new types of confectionery such as Cakes, Chocolates, Brownies and many more. The addition of new types of sweet in the market led to the high demand of these confectioneries and this led to the integration in the Indian market. Younger generations preferred this modern sweets over traditional Indian sweets, which led to question of weather this modern sweets like cake and chocolates fit into the ‘Mithai’, Well No, the demand of these new sweets is high in the market but it failed to replace or even fit in with the Mithai as it lacked emotion and cultural values, but in terms of social values the cake and chocolates are fitting in with the customers gradually. This idea of westernization also led to the mixture of both cultures, use of chocolate and traditional sweets to make a new variety, making new recipes by adding choco chips, sauce and many more of the western sweets into the traditional sweets to bring up the uniqueness and attract the customers. This too won’t fit with the concept of mithai but definitely holds a higher social value.

MODERN MITHAI 25 PICTURES [Figure 1] Street vendor selling Peechu Mithai packed in Plastic bags. [Figure 2] Street side vendor making Jilebi, paper packaging with printed name and address.

Pavan Teja 26 [Figure 3] Homemade sweets packed in an ordinary plastic cover with no brand printing . [Figure 4] Homemade sweets freshly displayed on the counter. Mithaiwala focuses on the taste of sweet and not the customer experience in the shop.

MODERN MITHAI 27 [Figure 5] Display of gift packages in the local sweet shop. Shop selling chocolates displayed at the back. [Figure 6] Two types of packaging for different sweet types.

Pavan Teja 28 [Figure 7] Decorated space of Local sweet shop to attract customers. [Figure 8] Bigger space with highly lit ambience in the High status local sweet shop.

MODERN MITHAI 29 [Figure 9] Assorted sweets with variety of sweet packaging in the high class local sweet shop. [Figure 10] Single sweets packed in a smaller ordinary packaging with branding.

Pavan Teja 30 [Figure 11] Highly decorated gift sets with different exotic sweets and dry fruits. [Figure 12] Fancy sweets with aesthetic appeal.

MODERN MITHAI 31 [Figure 13] Almond house sweet shop - Premium sweet shop. [Figure 14] Luxurious ambience for customer experience inside almond house.

Pavan Teja 32