India’s cookware market shifts from price to performance as premiumisation gathers pace

Consumers are becoming more conscious of the materials and technologies used in kitchen products, while digital platforms are exposing them to global cooking trends, chefs and design-led products.

India’s cookware market is moving beyond its traditional price-and-familiarity-led buying pattern, with consumers increasingly looking at safety, durability, convenience, performance and design, according to Siddharth Gadodia, CEO and co-founder of Ember.

Citing Mordor Intelligence, Gadodia said the Indian cookware market was valued at $1.87 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach $2.85 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 7.27 per cent. Stainless steel accounted for 34.95 per cent of the market in 2025, while online sales are projected to grow 8.68 per cent through 2031.

“The market is at an important point of transition, with both the category and consumer expectations evolving,” Gadodia said.

According to him, consumers are becoming more conscious of the materials and technologies used in kitchen products, while digital platforms are exposing them to global cooking trends, chefs and design-led products. This is pushing demand towards cookware that combines functionality, versatility and aesthetics.

Ember is positioning itself around this shift, arguing that premiumisation is not simply about selling more expensive cookware but giving consumers a clear reason to upgrade. The company has developed products across ceramic, cast iron and stainless steel, including its Arcilla ceramic technology, TitaniumClad cast iron and TitaniumSteel stainless steel platform powered by NanoFusion.

Its latest SuperPan range is aimed at addressing a longstanding trade-off between stainless steel and conventional non-stick cookware. The product uses NanoFusion technology, which the company says engineers the stainless-steel surface to improve food release without relying on a conventional non-stick coating.

“SuperPan represents our larger philosophy at Ember: take familiar kitchen products and use material science and engineering to make them fundamentally better,” Gadodia said.

The company now plans to expand beyond cookware into kitchen tools, storage and countertop appliances over the next two to three years. It also plans to strengthen its direct-to-consumer business while expanding across modern trade, general trade and other retail formats.

Gadodia believes the premium cookware segment remains relatively underpenetrated in India. Over the next five years, he expects the market to become increasingly driven by design, performance and health, with consumers moving from replacing cookware when it breaks to upgrading products because they perform better.

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