Cereals have always been part of Indian breakfast platter like Chivda or Poha (flattened rice flakes) with milk popular in Central and Western India, Dalia (whole wheat grits) in Northern India along with traditionally preferred regional staples like Paratha in North while Idli or Dosa in the south. Mostly Indians have preferred or inclined towards consumption of quintessential hot and cooked breakfast called as Nashta and finds it difficult to give in to such options like cereals with milk.  

Factors accelerating cereals: Changing lifestyles in tandem with rising disposable income, increasing urbanisation, emerging middle class, greater time-poverty, need for increased convenience, and increasing health consciousness have drove Indians specifically Indians in urban areas to go for breakfast cereals. The Western lifestyle influence and eating trends have also accelerated experimenting with different tastes and varied eating preferences.  

Market Drivers: With changing lifestyles consumers prefer breakfast foods which are healthy and easy to cook. Most of the customers seek convience where they seek breakfast on the way to their destination. Breakfast cereals fill this gap and hence urban consumers are responsible for 96% of breakfast cereals value sales in 2016.2 Flakes have captured around 50% market share in this category along with oats and muesli receiving warm welcome.3 Increasing literacy rate is spreading awareness about benefits of healthy diet among consumers. As breakfast cereals are high amongst nutrition content consumers prefer them over traditional platters. Increasing incidence of lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension, heart attack, etc. in urban population have made them health consciousness than ever before and further pushed them towards low fat and nutritious cereals. In today’s world breakfast cereals provide fast and healthy options to middle income groups. Thereby reducing preparation time these delicious products have enabled consumers specially mothers to spend time in other activities.  

Classification: In India the breakfast cereals can be broadly classified as follows:

1. Ready to Eat Cereals: It consists of cereals which can be consumed without cooking, solely or along with complementary accompaniments like water, milk or fruits. For Example, wheat flakes, cornflakes, multi-rain flakes, etc.  
2. Ready to Cook Cereals: These cereals have to be cooked in oil, water or milk and include instant and quick cooking oats, muesli. One can add salt, sugar, spices, fruits or vegetables to enhance the taste depending upon taste preference.  
3. Processed or Precooked Cereals: These are the maximum consumed breakfast cereals. They can be divided into ready to eat or ready to cook subcategories. Ready to eat include cereal or malt based foods or beverages and pulse and crisp snacks and dessert type cereals. Ready to cook cereals include fermented or non-fermented products, enriched products like Idli, Vada, Upma, Poha, etc.  
4. Ready-made or Breakfast Mixes: They include dry or liquid mixes of other whole, flaked or ground cereal or grain with other ingredients like Dosa or Idli batter, Poha or Upma mix, etc. They can be prepared with minimal efforts and don’t require further addition of ingredients.