From budget to benefits: Middle-income buyers seek durable, safe cookware built for Indian kitchens

Umesh Guptaa, CEO & Managing Director, Bergner India, following the launch campaign sparked an important conversation around cookware material safety in Indian households. The campaign urges families to reassess the long-term use of uncoated aluminium cookware and consider safer, non-reactive alternatives for everyday cooking.

The campaign film is currently airing on Sony TV and digital platforms, with Bergner as the Special Partner for Master Chef India this season. At a time when Indian consumers are becoming increasingly health-conscious yet remain unaware of material science in the kitchen, this initiative brings together credible science, professional kitchen standards, and consumer education without fear-mongering.

A key pillar of Bergner’s offering is its Tri-Ply stainless steel cookware, engineered with threelayers of metal to ensure faster, even heat distribution, superior temperature control, and long-lasting durability.

In a conversation with the Bizz Buzz, Umesh Guptaa Bergner Tri-Ply cookware has been designed as a safer and more efficient alternative to traditional cookware. Bergner Tri-Ply enables healthier cooking while delivering professional-grade performance inhome kitchens, he says

What is the unique USP of Bergner India?

Bergner India is where European engineering meets Indian kitchen intelligence. We pioneered Tri-Ply cookware in India fully clad construction that heats fast and evenly while ensuring food never touches aluminium.

But safety alone isn’t our story. Our products are practical, health-focused, and beautifully designed. Think rivetless interiors for easy cleaning, measurement marks for precision, stay-cool handles, and sizes tailored to how India actually cooks.

We’ve also reimagined traditional cookware, bringing shapes like handi, paniyarakkal, and appachetty into Tri-Ply construction. Authenticity and safety, together. Performance you can trust. Design you’ll be proud to display. That’s the Bergner difference.

How long has Bergner India been present in the Indian market?

Bergner India has been present since 2007. We are now in our nineteenth year in the market, evolving with consumers and moving from basic cookware to advanced Tri-Ply solutions that

combine performance with everyday safety for Indian kitchens.

What is the target audience for your brands?

Our core audience is urban middle-income households who cook frequently and care about health and quality, young professionals, growing families, and experienced home cooks. They’re shifting from price-first to value-driven decisions, seeking cookware that is safe (no aluminium contact), durable, and designed for Indian cooking.

Our Tri-Ply range answers this need with professional-grade performance at accessible pricing. We’re strongest in metros, with accelerating growth in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities as kitchen consciousness spreads.

Are your brands available pan-India?

Yes, Bergner has built a truly pan-India presence with deep market penetration. Our primary strength lies in our extensive general trade network thousands of retail partners across metros, Tier-2, and Tier-3 cities who serve local communities.

This is complemented by strong presence one-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart, visibility in modern trade stores, quick commerce for urban convenience, and our official website bergner.in for direct purchases. This with the layered distribution ensures Bergner reaches every corner of India.

What has been the company’s financial growth?

About 30 percent YoY growth in the past year, driven by Tri-Ply and stainless steel. Quick commerce and e-commerce lead the surge. Modern trade and general trade remain solid, as more households upgrade to safer, durable cookware.

What is your market share in the Indian market?

Bergner India holds a meaningful share in the organised premium and mid-premium cookware segment. The cookware market in India remains fragmented, with the organised segment still emerging.

Within this space, we are seeing robust growth, particularly in advanced categories like Tri-Ply where we’re among the top national brands. Our momentum is driven by innovation, expanding distribution partnerships, and awareness campaigns educating consumers about cookware safety.

Do you have a presence in the international market?

Yes. Via the Bergner Group’s global network, our cookware is available in multiple international markets across Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

Bergner India contributes with India-made ranges and select exports, and we are exploring additional partnerships for measured expansion.

What are your future growth plans?

Our growth strategy rests on three pillars: product innovation, market expansion, and consumer education. We’re expanding our Tri-Ply range with products tailored to Indian cooking styles while accelerating penetration in Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets through stronger omni-channel distribution.

Beyond distribution and products, we’re investing heavily in consumer awareness. Our partnership with Chef Vikas Khanna and campaigns like ‘Uncoated Aluminium Hatao’, Bergner Tri-Ply Lao, Sehat banao shifting the conversation from price to safety and health. Our ambition is clear: make Tri-Ply the smart standard for Indian kitchens, not a premium alternative.

Are you planning an export push?

While India remains a key focus market, exports form part of our long-term strategy. The growing capability to manufacture and source advanced cookware such as Tri-Ply from India creates opportunities to serve international markets with similar cooking requirements.

What is your market plan for the future?

Our market plan focuses on education over promotion. We’re building consumer awareness around cookware safety, materials, and performance through campaigns like Uncoated Aluminium Hatao with Chef Vikas Khanna, retail experiences, and digital content.

Products like Bergner Tri-Ply translate this awareness into action offering professional-grade safety as an everyday solution, not a premium exception. The goal: create informed consumers who choose cookware based on health and quality, not just price.

What prompted Bergner and Chef Vikas Khanna to start a nationwide campaign focused on cookware safety now?

We saw a paradox: families buying organic vegetables and premium ingredients, then cooking themin uncoated Aluminium cookware that leaches into food. The awareness didn’t exist. People were health-conscious about ingredients but completely blind to what touches those ingredients duringcooking.

That gap needed addressing. Chef Vikas Khanna put it simply;What you cook in mattersas much as what you cook. That message, through MasterChef India’s reach, is shifting how peoplethink about their kitchens.

The campaign educates about cookware safety and offers Tri-Ply as theaccessible alternative. We’re starting the conversation that helps people choose better not justbetter food, but better ways to cook it.

What simple message would you like Indian families to take away from this campaignwhen they think about upgrading their kitchens?

Three simple things:

One: What you cook in matters as much as what you cook. Your cookware is neutral it affects your food.

Two: Uncoated alumnium leaches, especially with heat and acidic ingredients common in Indiancooking. It’s science, not scare tactics.

Three: When replacing cookware start with what you use daily and choose Tri-Ply. You don’t needto overhaul everything overnight. This isn’t about spending more; it’s about choosing smarter. Small, informed upgrades create saferkitchens over time.

The campaign tagline says it all: Uncoated Aluminium Hatao, Tri-Ply Lao, Sehat Banao. Removethe risk, choose safety, build health.