Bergner, which offers premium cookware, recently launched the Indian Cooking Club (ICC). This initiative marks the establishment of a sustained, nationwide platform designed to identify and cultivate culinary talent within the home chef and culinary enthusiasts community. The brand aims to promote and foster a community where culinary innovation and the redefinition of Indian cuisine are foremost.
The Indian Cooking Club is a long-term initiative travelling to multiple cities across India, crowning a ‘Bergner ICC Chef’ in each location. This nationwide journey will not only celebrate the culinary heritage of India but also lay out a stage for home chefs and culinary enthusiasts to showcase their unique interpretations and modern spins on traditional recipes.
Through structured competitions, digital engagement, and community building, the ICC will empower people to push boundaries and redefine the standards for Indian cuisine.
Medianews4u.com caught up with Umesh Guptaa, Managing Director, Bergner India
Q. What is going to be the strategy of Bergner India to strengthen its position as being a premium, innovative , category focused ,health-conscious, cookware brand?
At Bergner India, our strategy is anchored in innovation, consumer insight, and long-term trust. We are committed to offering technologically advanced, health-forward cookware—such as our Tri-Ply and Hitech ceramic ranges— that enable healthier cooking with minimal oil, while ensuring, low carbon and environmentally friendly, unmatched durability and performance. An important part of our approach is educating consumers about why the right cookware matters. We are actively driving awareness about the advantages of Tri-Ply technology—such as even heat distribution, faster cooking, and better retention of nutrients.
By helping consumers make informed choices, we aim to shift the perception of cookware from being a commodity to an essential tool that enhances the everyday cooking experience. This, coupled with a strong after-sales ecosystem and retail engagement, allows us to build lasting trust and elevate Bergner’s position as a brand of choice for modern Indian kitchens.
Q. How did the tie-up with celebrity chef Vikas Khanna come about? How has he helped boost brand recall and perception?
Our partnership with Michelin Star Chef Vikas Khanna was a thoughtful and strategic decision. Vikas is not just a globally celebrated chef—he is a storyteller, a humanitarian, and someone who deeply resonates with Indian families and traditions. His values align perfectly with Bergner’s mission of making cooking joyful, meaningful, and rooted in health and authenticity.
The collaboration emerged from a shared belief that cookware is not just a utility, but an enabler of memories, traditions, and better living. Vikas’s deep cultural understanding and international stature have significantly strengthened our emotional connect with consumers.
He brings immense trust and relatability to the brand, which has directly enhanced brand recall, perception, and premium positioning. His presence in our campaigns, events, and digital content has added both inspiration and credibility—turning everyday cookware into a symbol of pride and purpose in Indian kitchens.
Q. What marketing activities and innovations is the company doing in the co coming months?
At Bergner India, our marketing strategy is centered around building meaningful experiences and conversations that go beyond the product. In the coming months, we are launching a series of high-impact initiatives to engage directly with our consumers and bring our vision of healthier and ease of cooking.
One of our flagship initiatives is the ‘Indian Cooking Club by Bergner’, a city-wise cooking competition that celebrates regional flavours and homegrown culinary talent. Through this platform, we’re not just connecting with food enthusiasts across India—we’re creating a stage for them to showcase their passion while discovering how the right cookware can elevate both regional flavours and taste. It’s our way of building a real community around cooking, culture, and cookware.
We’re also proud to have introduced Bergcast—India’s first branded podcast in the cookware space. In a market where consumers often prioritise price over safety and are unaware of how cookware impacts nutrition, Bergcast shifts the conversation from product specs to health, safety, and well-being. Hosted by trusted voices like chefs, nutritionists, and health experts, the podcast addresses crucial topics—from the risks of non-coated aluminium cookware to how cooking methods impact the nutritional value of food. It positions Bergner not just as a cookware brand, but as an educator and enabler of informed choices, especially highlighting Tri-Ply cookware as a safer, healthier alternative.
On the product front, we’ve launched two category-defining ranges:
Argent Samsara, India’s first Tri-Ply Non-Stick cookware thoughtfully designed for South Indian cooking.
Hitech Giro X, our advanced Tri-Ply + Ceramic range, offering the perfect combination of innovation, eco friendly, water based coating for health-conscious cooking.
And our latest innovation in the pressure cooker category, which brings enhanced safety, faster cooking, and nutrient preservation—an essential in modern Indian kitchens.
Alongside this, our #UpgradeKaro campaign encourages consumers to switch to safer, smarter cookware—offering not just deals, but awareness around why it’s time to move beyond outdated materials like non-coated aluminium.
And this is just the beginning—we have more innovations lined up in the coming months to cater to evolving consumer needs.
In parallel, we’re taking our brand on the road with Michelin Star Chef Vikas Khanna through a multi-city roadshow, engaging with consumers at ground level through live demos and in-store experiences. This, along with digital campaigns, influencer collaborations, and immersive retail activations, ensures that our message—that cookware is at the heart of healthy living—reaches every modern Indian kitchen.
Q. Which are going to be the key markets and TGs that the company will target for growth?
Bergner’s growth strategy will focus on key markets with strong culinary cultures and rising demand for premium cookware—Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi NCR, Gujarat, and Punjab.
Our primary target group includes urban, health-conscious consumers aged 25–45, especially young mothers, working professionals, and food enthusiasts who seek quality, efficiency, and healthier cooking solutions. This audience values innovation and is driving the shift towards smarter, safer kitchens—making them central to our expansion plans.
Q. Bergner India says that communication goes beyond information, it’s about creating experiences, building community, and bringing the brand to life. In 2025 what would this entail and what is the challenge going to be in getting the message across in a competitive environment?
For us, communication in 2025 is all about building meaningful, experience-led touchpoints that educate, inspire, and emotionally connect. Whether it’s through initiatives like the Indian Cooking Club, the storytelling-led Bergcast podcast, or our on-ground roadshows with Vikas Khanna, we’re creating platforms where consumers don’t just hear our message—they feel it.
The biggest challenge is attention—cutting through the clutter in a fast-moving, content-heavy world. Our answer is authenticity, consistency, and value-driven engagement, where every interaction reinforces our belief that the right cookware can truly transform the way people cook and live.
Q. In terms of the media mix will Bergner mainly focus on digital or will traditional media like print, TV, OOH also have a role to play?
Digital continues to be our core focus—it offers precision, agility, and a strong platform for storytelling and engagement. It allows us to connect with our target audience in real time and measure impact effectively.
That said, traditional media still holds value, especially when it comes to building brand credibility and visibility during key moments like product launches and festive campaigns. Channels like print, OOH, and in some cases, television, help us reach wider demographics and reinforce our presence.
Our approach is integrated—we believe the best results come when digital and traditional media work together, each amplifying the other’s strength.
Q. Last year for Diwali Bergner’s campaign focussed on nostalgia. How important will the nostalgia element be in marketing activities done in 2025?
Nostalgia remains a powerful emotion—especially when it comes to food, family, and the warmth of shared memories. In 2025, it will continue to play an important role in our storytelling, helping us connect across generations through familiar recipes, rituals, and cookware that holds sentimental value.
That said, our lens will be both emotional and progressive. We’ll blend nostalgia with modernity, highlighting how today’s kitchens honour tradition while embracing innovation. It’s about creating new memories while celebrating the ones that made us fall in love with cooking in the first place.
Q. Bergner has launched a podcast Bergcast focussed on the power of cookware in determining what we eat and how we eat it. How effective will the podcast be as a medium in reaching consumers and helping the brand standout?
‘Bergcast’ is India’s first branded podcast in the cookware space, created to shift the conversation from just product features to health, nutrition, and safe cooking practices. It addresses a real gap in consumer awareness—most people know what they eat, but not how cookware impacts the nutritional value of their food.
Through candid conversations with chefs, nutritionists, and health experts, Bergcast positions Bergner as more than a cookware brand—it positions us as an educator and enabler of better choices. In a content-heavy market, podcasting offers a more intimate, focussed, and credible way to connect with consumers, making Bergcast a powerful differentiator in building long-term trust and engagement.
Q. Could you shed light on how the company will use influencer marketing to create conversations and forge meaningful connections?
We’re moving beyond one-time endorsements to long-term collaborations with chefs, nutritionists, and home cooks who genuinely use our products.
These creators help us reach niche communities with real, relatable stories. Whether it’s cooking challenges, educational content, or festive moments—they help us humanise the brand and spark two-way conversations.
Q. Today companies are demanding more accountability from influencer marketing. Deeper engagement through content is not enough. Actual ROI matters. Does Bergner have the same approach to this medium?
Absolutely. While engagement helps build visibility and brand affinity, ROI is critical. Today, every influencer campaign at Bergner is designed with clear performance metrics—be it traffic, conversions, or product trials.
We approach influencer marketing not just as a visibility tool, but as a measurable growth channel. Content strategy, audience relevance, and platform selection are all planned with long-term impact in mind. For us, true success lies in creating influence that not only inspires, but also drives action.
Q. What role is AI playing for Bergner in various areas from product innovation like the Hitech Giro X by Bergner to identifying market gaps?
With the booming of AI industry and it becoming an essential part of business strategy across industries, we have also begun to explore its potential to optimise on the departments like product planning, consumer understanding, and decision-making.
By leveraging tools that analyse consumer feedback, purchase patterns, and evolving cooking behaviours, we can identify product gaps and opportunities more quickly and accurately.
Looking ahead, we see AI supporting us in areas such as consumer insights, demand forecasting, and innovation planning—helping us stay agile, make smarter decisions across the value chain, and stay aligned with the evolving needs of Indian kitchens.
In the coming days, we hope to make the most out of what AI has made accessible to us.
Q. On the B2B marketing front what activities will be done like roadshows, seminars?
Our B2B strategy is centered around building stronger, value-driven relationships with trade partners through targetted, experience-led initiatives. This includes multi-city roadshows, dealer meets, and in-depth product knowledge sessions, all designed to showcase our latest innovations while creating space for two-way dialogue.
We’re also planning exclusive product previews and co-branded campaigns with key retail and modern trade partners—ensuring they are not only aligned with our vision but are also equipped to champion the Bergner story within their networks.
Q. Bergner focusses on Tri-Ply cookware in India. What has driven this focus, and how is the brand making this technology more accessible to everyday consumers?
At Bergner, we’ve always believed that the quality of your cookware directly impacts your health and how you experience food. For years, uncoated aluminium cookware has been used widely across Indian households—but most people don’t realise that when aluminium is exposed to high heat or acidic ingredients, it can leach into food and pose long-term health risks.
That’s why we made a conscious decision to lead the shift towards Tri-Ply cookware, which offers not just safety but also superior cooking performance. With a core of aluminium sandwiched between two layers of stainless steel, Tri-Ply ensures even heat distribution, durability, and compatibility with all modern cooktops, including induction.
I’m proud to say that Bergner is now the market leader in Tri-Ply cookware in India. But more importantly, we’ve democratised this technology—bringing down the price point so that it’s no longer limited to premium kitchens. Our Essentials Tri-Ply range, for example, offers all the benefits of advanced construction at a price that’s within reach for everyday consumers.
Through constant innovation and scale, we’ve made Tri-Ply more accessible—because we believe that safe, high-quality cookware should not be a luxury, but a standard in every Indian home.
Q. With the launch of India’s first Tri-Ply Non-Stick range focused on South Indian cuisine, where do you see the future of regional cookware headed?
Regional cooking is deeply personal and rooted in tradition—but until now, cookware has not evolved at the same pace as the food culture it supports. With the launch of Argent Samsara, we wanted to honour South Indian cuisine by designing cookware that’s both authentic in form and advanced in function.
Looking ahead, we believe the future lies in region-specific innovation—developing cookware that’s tailored to local dishes, ingredients, and techniques, while ensuring modern-day safety, efficiency, and durability. As India’s food culture continues to diversify, cookware must follow suit—blending tradition with technology to meet evolving expectations.
