During the International Potato Tour in India, our team visited the Delhi Potato Summit, where we met one of the most memorable voices in the potato processing scene: Ms. Avanti Murarka Jhunjhunwala, Director of Crown Flakes Private Limited (West Bengal, India).
In a short but lively interview, Avanti spoke with real passion about potato flakes, India’s potato culture, and the growing role of processed potato products for both the domestic market and export.
Crown Flakes: Focused on One Product — Potato Flakes
Crown Flakes Private Limited has a clear specialization: they manufacture potato flakes only. This focused approach reflects a broader trend in India’s processing industry—companies are increasingly building expertise around specific product categories to ensure stable quality, scalability, and long-term competitiveness.
When asked about production, Avanti shared a concrete benchmark:
- Around 20 metric tons per day per plant
- Four units in West Bengal dedicated to producing potato flakes
These numbers highlight that potato flakes are not a niche product anymore. This segment is already operating at industrial scale and continues to develop alongside India’s growing processing ecosystem.
“My Favorite Product in This World Is Potatoes”
The interview quickly moved from production volumes to something even more important for any brand: product philosophy.
Avanti’s answer was simple and powerful: “There is no life without potatoes.”
For her, potato flakes are more than a commodity—they represent convenience, versatility, and a product with an almost unlimited number of applications.
She described potato flakes in the most practical way possible: instant mashed potatoes, a format that works across different cuisines and consumer habits—from home cooking to HoReCa, snack manufacturing, and ingredient supply for further processing.
India’s Potato Culture Helps Processing Grow
A key question at the Delhi Potato Summit was whether Indian consumers are shifting toward more processed potato products—flakes, fries, and other formats.
Avanti’s response was a reminder of why potatoes remain a “universal language” in Indian kitchens:
Potatoes can be fries, chips, a daily vegetable dish in sabzi, or turned into tikkis and parathas. And yes—she even mentioned that you can make vodka out of potatoes.
Her point was clear: India already loves potatoes, and that cultural foundation creates a natural path for growth in processed formats too. When a product is deeply integrated into everyday food habits, processing doesn’t need to “invent demand”—it can build on an existing national preference.
Export and Domestic Market: Two Directions at Once
Crown Flakes is working in both directions:
- supplying the Indian market
- exporting potato flakes as well
This dual approach is increasingly important for processors. Domestic demand provides stability, while exports create opportunities for scale, diversification, and stronger long-term margins—especially when global markets experience volatility in raw material availability and pricing.
“Aloo Ki Rani”: A Personal Brand Built on Potatoes
One of the most charming moments of the conversation came when Avanti shared her social media identity: “Aloo ki Rani” — which translates to “Queen of Potatoes.”
It’s more than a funny nickname. It shows how people in the industry are beginning to build personal brands around agriculture and processing—making the sector more visible, more human, and more attractive for the next generation.
What This Interview Tells Us About Potato Flakes in India
This short conversation at the Delhi Potato Summit reflects several important signals for the global potato industry:
- Potato flakes in India are already industrial-scale, with multiple production units and steady daily output.
- Specialization works: focusing on one product category helps drive consistency and capacity growth.
- India’s strong potato culture supports expansion of processed formats.
- Export potential exists alongside domestic growth, especially for stable, storable, ingredient-style products like flakes.
- People matter: passion, identity, and storytelling make the industry stronger—and easier to understand for new audiences.
International Potato Tour (India) continues to meet leaders across farming, seed, storage, processing, and trade—capturing real stories and real numbers from the field.
If you represent a potato business in India (or worldwide) and want to share your story with the global potato community, contact the Potatoes.News team. i@viktorkovalev.ru
