Renowned Chef Manjit Gill Appointed Advisor to Kikkoman India

Kikkoman aims to boost the popularity of its products in India following the success of having served 100 million dishes using its soy sauce

MUMBAI, India, Oct. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Kikkoman India has appointed the iconic chef Manjit Gill as an industry advisor. Chef Gill, who is renowned for his culinary excellence, will strengthen Kikkoman's position in Indian kitchens and restaurants by regularly communicating information about Kikkoman Soy Sauce and working with the restaurant industry. 

On this occasion, Chef Manjit Gill commented, "All the Hotels and Kitchens that have been managed by me have cooked with soy sauce for many years, and for every type of cuisine I absolutely use Kikkoman. When the offer of Industry Advisor came from Kikkoman, I happily accepted. I want to cooperate in making Kikkoman Soy Sauce the definitive standard soy sauce in the Indian market. Kikkoman Soy Sauce is pure and natural, with umami and aroma that cannot be matched by other soy sauces. Chefs who are truly committed to taste will seek out Kikkoman."

Since the launch of its business in 2021, Kikkoman India has surpassed a total of 100 million dishes* served in India using its soy sauce. Although the initial aim was to enter the growth stage in India in the 2030s, the business has seen such strong sales over the past three years that the target has been advanced to the 2020s.

Kikkoman Soy Sauce is proud to be the market share leader not only in Japan but also in the United States and many countries of Europe. In India too, it aims to expand its market share to become No. 1 in the Asian sauces category.

The faster-than-expected growth stems from two reasons. First, the growth in the Chinese and Pan-Asian segments. These two cuisines use a lot of soy sauce and are focal points for Kikkoman. The number of Chinese and Pan-Asian restaurants is increasing every year and for their chefs, using the best ingredients to achieve a superior flavour is becoming a top priority and hence their choice of Kikkoman Soy Sauce.

Bikramjit Ray, Senior Journalist and Editor of ET Hospitality World:

"Recent growth in the Chinese and Pan-Asian segments is quite remarkable. Indians are steadily taking interest in different cultures, and Asian cuisine is gaining explosive popularity, especially among younger generations. The number of these restaurants continues to grow, and the quality of these restaurants is also increasing," he said.

Commented Jaspal Sabharwal, co-founder of TagTaste Foods, said:

"In our business where we conduct lots of research in the culinary space, we interact with many professional chefs. We have observed the steady increase in the number of chefs across India, who are cooking a diverse variety of international cuisines. This is a big change in the Indian culinary market and in fact, most definitely, Chinese and Pan-Asian restaurants will also keep on seeing accelerated growth."

The second reason is the ringing endorsement of Kikkoman from respected restauranteurs whose opinion matters to those in the food industry: Berco's, Shang Palace, Jade, Chungwa, Zen, Sampan, Seefah, Misu/Lucky Chan, You Mee, The Ritz-Carlton Bangalore, and many others use Kikkoman and testimonial videos on why they prefer it are available on the Kikkoman India YouTube Account. As a result of this influence, many restaurants are switching to Kikkoman Soy Sauce.

Osamu Mogi, Head of International Operations Division Representative Director and Senior Executive Corporate Officer Kikkoman Corporation, commented, "Thanks to all the support we have received, our Indian business is performing well. I believe this is because people in India are beginning to recognize the difference between soy sauces and that soy sauce can enhance the flavour of every dish. We will continue to steadily fuse with Indian Food Culture to increase the number of Kikkoman users one at a time."

Manjit Gill commented, "The other day I went to the United States and was once again surprised to see how the use of Kikkoman is not limited to Japanese cuisine and sushi, but that it is also regularly used in American Chinese food and a variety of meat, fish, and vegetarian dishes. Kikkoman Soy Sauce enhances the local food culture. Many people in India still associate Kikkoman with sushi and Japanese cuisine, and I want to change that. Once the all-purpose seasoning Kikkoman Soy Sauce is used more widely in dishes other than Japanese food, beginning with Indian Chinese cuisine, I believe that we will be able to further enhance Indian food culture."

About Chef Manjit Gill

An iconic figure in the culinary industry, he has over four decades of experience and is renowned for his expertise in traditional Indian cuisine. Chef Gill has pioneered sustainable and healthy cooking practices worldwide. He is committed to culinary excellence, education, and innovation and was the first Asian in 96 years to put forth his name for the candidacy for the World Chefs Presidency for 2024-2028. Chef Gill is President of the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations and Managing Director of Eco Green Hospitality.

About Kikkoman India

Kikkoman India communicates a wide variety of information and holds multiple events across India to promote its naturally brewed soy sauce. Through collaboration with over 40 distributors and our store on Amazon, Kikkoman products are easily available throughout India. The Amazon link: https://www.amazon.in/stores/Kikkoman/page/20739E8F-3759-4334-https://www.amazon.in/stores/Kikkoman/page/20739E8F-

Kikkoman India Official YouTube Account: https://youtube.com/@kikkomanindia

Link to Media Kit: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_Amc2lINpJQIigF6gQmuz90DUCvEN-5N?usp=sharing

*Cumulative number of Manchurian dishes, the staple Indian Chinese cuisine, served in India since February 2021; it is the total amount of Kikkoman Soy Sauce sold to date in India, divided by the amount of soy sauce typically used in this dish, as per Kikkoman's research

For further information, please contact:
KIKKOMAN INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, Mumbai
[email protected]
+91-7045666888

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2539417/ManjitGill_KIKKOMAN.jpg