Services India Market By industry Case Studies Trade Shows Insights News Company Download Materials

CG Foods India | Sidestepped Maggi with instant noodles eaten without boiling

2026.09.19

Article summary

CG Foods India is the Indian subsidiary of Nepal's Chaudhary Group and makes the instant noodle brand "Wai Wai." Revenue for FY2025 (year ended March 2025) was about ₹800 crore (1 crore = 10 million rupees), up from about ₹500 crore the prior year, and it had set a target of ₹1,200 crore for FY2026. It runs 13 manufacturing units across 7 locations in India, with East and Northeast India accounting for 50-60% of revenue. It ranks third in India's instant noodle market. Rather than competing head-on with market leader Nestlé's Maggi, its distinguishing feature is entering with a snack-like way of eating: "ready to eat without boiling." Since its parent is a Nepali company, it expanded from Northeast India and Sikkim, regions culturally close to Nepal and Tibet. A listing of the Indian subsidiary is also reportedly under consideration.

This article is based on what we could verify As of September 19, 2026 This page is based on the disclosures and news reports from each company that we were able to confirm as of that date. Amounts in the text follow the notation commonly used in India, with ₹1 crore = 10 million rupees, and yen figures are approximations calculated at a little over 1.7 yen to the rupee. Store counts, funding raised, and results at Indian companies change over short periods, so when making a business decision, please check the latest information in primary sources such as each company's own announcements.

CG Foods India is the Indian arm of Nepal's Chaudhary Group (CG). Its mainstay is the instant noodle Wai Wai, and it sits third in instant noodles in India.

Company profile

Item	Details
Legal name	CG Foods India Private Limited
Parent company	Chaudhary Group (Nepal)
First plant	Sikkim
Revenue	About ₹800 crore in FY2025 (the year ended March 2025), against about ₹500 crore the year before. For FY2026 it had set a target of ₹1,200 crore
Production sites	13 manufacturing units across 7 locations in India
Regional profile	East and northeast India account for 50 to 60% of sales
Listing	Unlisted (a listing of the Indian arm has been talked about)

The same instant noodle, but a different way of eating it

Nestlé's Maggi has a big lead in India's instant noodle market. A later entrant competing on the same terms has no chance on price or distribution. Wai Wai entered with a different format: ready to eat without boiling.

Open the bag, crush the noodles, and sprinkle on the seasoning packet. It's a snack-like way of eating that doesn't require boiling water. If Maggi is "a snack you can make in two minutes," Wai Wai is "a snack that needs no cooking at all." The two sit on the same shelf but get used in different situations.

Another distinguishing feature is that it expanded from regions close to Nepali and Tibetan culture, such as Northeast India and Sikkim. With a Nepali parent company, the product was already familiar there. East and Northeast India account for 50-60% of revenue.

Spreading out production sites

It has 13 manufacturing units across 7 locations in India, splitting production and distribution by region. Instant noodles are light but bulky, so transport costs make up a high share of the total. Producing close to where they're consumed is an advantage.

Revenue for FY2025 (the year ended March 2025) was about ₹800 crore, up from about ₹500 crore the year before. For FY2026 it had set a target of ₹1,200 crore (the actual figure could not be confirmed at the time of writing). A listing of the Indian arm is also reported to be under consideration.

Points for Japanese companies

Maggi from Nestlé leads instant noodles in India by a wide margin, but Wai Wai brought in a different way of eating and took third place. That shows that when Japanese ramen or yakisoba enters India, it has to be designed so that it is not competing on Maggi's ground.

Concretely, this means finding occasions Maggi hasn't already claimed. Because Maggi is designed as a snack, there are gaps in areas such as meal-sized portions, soup flavor, and the in-store eating experience. Prices will likely be higher than Maggi's, so there needs to be something that can justify the difference.