Biscuits are arguably India's premier anytime eat. And the brand that has become synonymous with biscuits is Britannia. You do not call a biscuit 'a biscuit' anymore. Britannia will suffice. Mothers seldom forget to pack Treat or Milk Bikis for their children's mid-day snack at school. When they return home at the end of the day, laden with homework and text books, covered in grime and bruises from the rough and tumble games, Milk and Tiger biscuits are the popular fare. If they are packed off to boarding school the assortments of tuck invariably feature packets of various Britannia biscuits. Life goes on.

As children grow out of milk teeth, toys and clothes, Britannia stays on as a favourite, with newer, more exciting flavours to taste. The healthy snack gives way to the 'fun-bite' with Britannia Little Hearts and 50-50 vying for popularity. Britannia does not just bridge the chasm between the young and the grown up. Few give it credit for being a great social leveller. 'Cutting chai' with a pack of Britannia is a popular combination at any roadside stall as much as Cream Crackers are de rigeur with Darjeeling tea, silver service et al. For those who count calories, there is NutriChoice SugarOut (biscuits sweetened with sucralose, containing no sugar), and Digestive biscuits that can be devoured without keeping count.

The fact remains that Britannia has made inroads into every aspect of our lifestyle without so much as making a point of it. Can you really think of academic excellence without biscuits? Late-night cramming without coffee and Britannia is unheard of. In our high rise office towers, people constantly burn the midnight oil substituting companionship with Bourbon and Orange Cream biscuits. Ever thought of travel without biscuits? Just look around at any railway or bus station refreshment stall and you have the answer. Britannia goes on picnics, to the movies, on long car rides. Pure Magic weaves its heady spell for those moments when romance reigns supreme. The brand alternates roles between pacifier, reward, ice-breaker, inspiring ruminant, health food and fun maker. Little wonder then that it is a household name across the country's social spectrum.

One sometimes wonders how in a nation that is famous for its varied food, a relatively simple snack like the biscuit ever gained prominence. Credit goes to Britannia for a marketing revolution. Starting life armed with a few good recipes and Rs 295 (US $7) as capital in 1892's Kolkata, its network has widened to include India's big cities and regions including Bangalore, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Uttaranchal. Today, Britannia Industries Ltd exports its products to over 55 countries around the world. The fact that the company closed the last quarter of 2007 with a net profit of Rs 45 crore (US $1.1 million) reflects that it has come a long way indeed.

Managing Director Vinita Bali says of the company's performance, "BIL achieved a growth of 16 per cent in the quarter and industry growth of 12 per cent in an extremely competitive environment. Simultaneously, we improved margin, due to higher price realisation and continued focus on operational efficiencies. Investment in advertising and sales promotion increased by 70 per cent to support our brand building initiatives." The 90s and 2000s have seen the company step up its ambition and collect several accolades. In 1997 Britannia adopted the corporate mantra 'Eat Healthy, Think Better', and correspondingly has also changed the formulation of all its biscuits to 'Zero Transfat'. So much for the spread sheets, forecasts and pie charts. At the heart of Britannia's business, however are intangibles like goodness, happiness, enjoyment, sharing…That perhaps is why the company has partnered the Andhra Pradesh government's midday meal scheme, which hands out iron-fortified Tiger biscuits to supplement the meals of lakhs of underprivileged school children in Hyderabad. A company grows. It diversifies. Market share goes up. The export market widens. Profits gallop. At the end of the day however, things do not change all that much. The business is still about putting smiles on faces.