INDIA. Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has opened a new store at Terminal 2 under the IKAI Maharashtra brand, featuring delicacies from the state.
Owned by One Click Innovation, the store offers a wide variety of premium mithai and namkeen (sweet and savoury) snacks from the brand and targets the gifting market.
The recent launch also underlines the airport company’s commitment to promoting Maharashtra’s local food culture.
IKAI Maharashtra takes pride in using locally sourced, preservative-free ingredients from various parts of the state to create unique flavours.
Some of the state-specific ingredients used in mithais include haafus mango from Ratnagiri, oranges from Nagpur, strawberry from Mahabaleshwar, coconut from the Konkan Belt, amla from Amravati, and ice halwa from Mumbai.
The namkeens feature ragi from Raigad, sankeshwari chilli from Kolhapur, chickpeas from Mahabaleshwar, pav bhaji recipe inspired from Mumbai, and cashews from the Konkan Belt.
The best-selling products are Haapus Chocolate Katali, Naralachi Wadi and Mahabaleshwar Strawberry Pista Barfi for mithais and Konkni Kaaju chi Bhajji, Raigad Ragi chi Papdi, and Batawada Gaathiya for namkeens.
The products are presented in uniquely designed boxes that represent the state and its different cities – Ganpati Bappa Box, Best Bus Premium Chakhna Box, and the Tower Box among others. They are also individually packaged to ensure a shelf life of up to 45 days for mithais and 90 days for namkeens.
The packaging is made of plastic-free and biodegradable materials.
Established in 2022, IKAI Maharashtra now claims to have captured the top spot in the premium sweets and savoury category, with its strong commitment to quality and innovation.
Speaking about the launch, an airport spokesperson commented: “We at CSMIA are supremely happy to launch the IKAI Maharashtra store at the airport. IKAI Maharashtra brings an opportunity for travellers to relish the true and unique flavours of Maharashtra before they depart from the state.
“As a passenger-centric airport, it is CSMIA’s constant endeavour to cater to travellers needs and at the end of it all, to make their experience a memorable one. And we believe IKAI Maharashtra’s launch will be a value add to the retail offerings of the airport and create distinctiveness.”
One Click Innovation also commented: “It brings us immense pride and joy that Mumbai Airport is identifies, promotes, and collaborates with start-ups to bring innovation and variety in categories that largely untapped and hold huge potential.
“IKAI Maharashtra is a unique brand offering that focuses on the state, its rich cultural heritage and its indigenous ingredients. It has taken our team’s extensive research to bring IKAI Maharashtra to the forefront so that our travellers can appreciate this offering that truly defines the taste of Maharashtra.” ✈
