Hordes of students from Nepal would swear to Wai Wai noodles as the ultimate comfort food. Day trippers to Dehradun or trekkers in Arunachal Pradesh would happily slurp bowlfuls of soupy noodles as would the rest of the Northeast of India. Today, every food stop across the western Himalayas has Wai Wai as a great new instant noodle brand. It is a market leader in Nepal, where it was launched nearly three decades ago when a farsighted entrepreneur, Binod Chaudhary, recognised an opportunity and brought in the concept from Thailand. No one expected it to do well but it caught on, and how! Nearly 2.3 billion packets of Wai Wai Noodles are sold every year, it is Nepal’s best-known brand which is now available in 32 countries. Binod Chaudhary went on to be recognised as Nepal’s first Forbes billionaire, and since then has created one of the most recognisable brands in Nepal and beyond. Today that footprint is being extended across India under the tutelage of his youngest son, Varun Chaudhary, executive director of CG Corp Global, the makers of Wai Wai, and the transnational arm of the Chaudhary Group, the protagonist of the brand.

“Wai Wai travelled through the hearts and minds of college-going students, and its growth has enhanced through word of mouth and the taste and flavour which is unique. Wai Wai also comes in many different forms which gives choices to the consumer,” he said. Today Wai Wai is the second largest instant noodle brand in India with a market share of 27 per cent, and is the highest-grossing instant noodle brand in the Northeast.

Its rapid ascension led to the establishment of eight manufacturing units from Chittoor in the south to Rudrapur in Uttar Pradesh, going as far as Sikkim, Purnea, and Guwahati to meet the demand. But selling it as a household product was not the sole aim of the brand in India. That it is a market leader in the Northeast and making rapid strides in the western and southern Indian markets is an established fact, but “the challenge was in bringing the product out of the list of groceries and make it young, hip and smart... Our aim is to convert it into a lifestyle choice, which would influence quick service restaurants for the youth and where Wai Wai would be served in multiple ways,” says Varun Chaudhary.

The first step was to create a new look and feel and a unique nomenclature. “The name Wai Wai City has a feel of bonhomie and camaraderie to it. Young people today like to hang out and do things together, and since the product itself is a snack favourite, extending it in the form of a lifestyle choice was logical.” A strategic tieup will soon see the launch of Wai Wai City across 100 locations. The flagship store has been in New Delhi’s Hauz Khas Village, the next one has just been launched in Noida recently, with Pune as the next stop on the lifestyle journey. There are other attractions too. Along with free wi-fi and an eclectic menu, the 300-seater Hauz Khas Village restaurant is a one-of-its-kind where a simple packet of noodles is elevated to a restaurant dish and gets delivered at home too. It has four types of noodles, such as Classic, Chopsuey, Roasted and Pan-Fried, seven sauces — including Garlic Soya Oyster, Spicy Kung Pao and Masala Fusion, 18 vegetables, 10 toppings and five add-ons to choose from. It’s an aromatic experience as well as a visual treat to see each dish being prepared with fresh ingredients right in front of your eyes. The colours on the wall, the packaging, service and manner in which it is finally placed on the table takes a chapter out of the food and beverage lifestyle choices, and how to best entice the customer, who is already close to the product but needs a new insight to step into a restaurant to taste it in an altogether new way.

The menu runs through an Oriental journey, with its in-house favourites to binge on, such as Bang Bang — roasted noodles with Szechuan sauce, Pao Delight — classic noodle with Spicy Kung Pao sauce and Momosa minced chicken stuffed in a crispy outer layer. Not to forget the variety of inventive drinks and desserts that comes to the rescue of your hunger pangs. “Innovation is key to success when it comes to extending an already popular brand to new audience segments and invoking them to make a new lifestyle choice. Variety in flavour and options and in the number of dishes available to order helps in building curiosity and taking it closer to the consumer. We don’t take our fan base for granted. In fact, we give them more reasons to be loyal to a food brand, ensuring that we keep them interested and surprised.” says Varun Chaudhary.

This approach is what keeps youngsters close to Wai Wai. From a college dormitory to the hip streets of Hauz Khas Village, a packet of noodles take a smarter step and engages with the consumer in a novel fashion.