NEW DELHI, Dec. 22 -- Perfetti Van Melle, the Amsterdam-headquartered candy maker behind Chupa Chups, Mentos, and Alpenliebe in India, is pushing consumers toward higher price points of Rs.5 and Rs.10, even as Rs.1 candies continue to dominate the market. The shift is part of the company's effort to balance its portfolio in a candy market still heavily skewed toward ultra-low-value purchases.

Nearly 70% of Perfetti's business in India comes from the Rs.1 segment, which dominates small mom-and-pop stores and drives the bulk of category sales. The company plans to increase the share of its Rs.5-and-above portfolio from about 30% over the next three to four years; this number stood at just 7% in 2019. Execution will hinge on wider distribut...