As Nestlé Professional enters Indian Railways, the FMCG giant is expanding not just retail presence but consumption occasions across one of India’s largest mobility networks
Nestlé Professional opening a new NESCAFÉ kiosk at Thrissur Railway Station in Kerala, marks the company’s formal entry into one of India’s largest and most influential consumption ecosystems — the Indian Railways network, which serves millions of passengers every day.
The launch is Nestlé Professional’s first kiosk under its partnership with Indian Railways and represents a significant step in the company’s ambition to deepen its out-of-home presence across high-footfall transit locations. For Nestlé India, whose annual report repeatedly highlights “penetration-led volume growth” as a key strategic pillar, railway stations offer something few channels can match – scale, frequency and daily consumer engagement.
Located at one of Kerala’s busiest railway stations, the new outlet offers travellers a range of hot and cold coffee beverages along with curated food options designed to deliver quality, convenience and consistency. More importantly, it gives Nestlé direct access to millions of consumers who increasingly seek trusted food and beverage brands while on the move.
“Indian Railways touches the lives of millions of Indians every day and has earned a place of immense trust in the hearts of consumers across the country. Being associated with such an iconic institution is a matter of great pride for us,” said Saurabh Makhija, Head, Nestlé Professional. “With the launch of our NESCAFÉ outlet at Thrissur Railway Station, we are delighted to bring travellers a comforting and familiar experience through quality coffee and trusted food and beverage offerings during their journeys.”
Building India’s Out-of-Home Consumption Engine
The railway initiative comes at a time when Nestlé Professional has emerged as one of the fastest-growing businesses within Nestlé India.
Head, Nestlé Professional
According to the company’s FY26 Annual Report, the out-of-home business delivered robust volume-led growth driven by strong customer acquisition, deeper channel penetration and expanding consumption occasions. The business continues to embody Nestlé India’s broader strategy of creating growth through increased consumption frequency rather than relying solely on price increases.
This strategy is visible across multiple channels. Educational institutions, hospitals, airports, corporate offices, malls and transit locations have become important growth engines as consumers spend more time outside their homes and increasingly consume food and beverages across multiple daily occasions.
“At Nestlé Professional, we are committed to fueling customer growth through strong partnerships and purposeful innovations. By staying ahead of evolving consumer needs and leveraging our iconic brands with culinary expertise, we enable differentiated out-of-home experiences,” Makhija noted in the annual report.
The Thrissur launch therefore fits into a much larger national play. Rather than viewing railway stations as standalone retail locations, Nestlé sees them as strategic consumption hubs where millions of consumers can engage with its brands every day.
Why Railways Matter
Few consumer channels in India offer the scale and reach of Indian Railways.
For Nestlé Professional, railways represent a unique combination of high traffic, repeat usage and national coverage. Unlike traditional retail outlets where purchases are destination-driven, railway stations capture consumers during travel occasions when convenience, trust and speed become critical purchase drivers.
Sales Head, Nestlé Professional
“Railways is a very important channel for Nestlé Professional, given its scale and ability to connect with millions of consumers on the move every day,” said Jinraj Adyanthaya, Sales Head, Nestlé Professional.
“This new initiative with Indian Railways will enable us to further expand our presence across the network while bringing a wider range of Nestlé’s food and beverage offerings to consumers on the move.”
The company has ambitious plans for expansion.
Adyanthaya indicated that Nestlé Professional intends to participate in railway tenders across divisions throughout India, creating opportunities to establish a significantly larger presence within the railway ecosystem.
“We intend to participate in as many tenders as possible across railway divisions throughout India under this initiative, helping us strengthen our footprint in the travel segment and make our trusted brands more accessible to consumers.”
All railway outlets will be operated through Nestlé-authorised operators to ensure consistent product quality, service standards and consumer experience across locations.
Retail ONE Crosses 1,000 Kiosks
The railway initiative also builds upon one of Nestlé Professional’s most successful growth platforms — Retail ONE.
The operator-funded kiosk model crossed the milestone of 1,000 kiosks across India during FY26, making it one of the largest branded foodservice kiosk networks in the country.
These kiosks operate under formats such as NESCAFÉ Corners, MAGGI Hotspots and KITKAT Break Zones across educational campuses, healthcare institutions, airports, malls and other high-traffic locations.
What makes Retail ONE particularly significant is that it serves both commercial and social objectives.
The network has created employment opportunities for more than 1,700 people, including nearly 300 women and six specially-abled individuals. Beyond sales, the model enables entrepreneurship while expanding Nestlé’s reach into new consumption occasions.
The addition of railway stations potentially opens another large chapter for the network’s expansion.
Innovation Beyond Coffee
While NESCAFÉ remains the flagship brand for many of these outlets, Nestlé Professional’s ambitions extend far beyond coffee.
The annual report highlights the company’s growing focus on becoming a “total solution provider” for foodservice operators.
Recent innovations include NESCAFÉ Duo Gusto machines capable of dispensing both hot and cold beverages, low- and zero-sugar beverage options for health-conscious consumers, and UPI-enabled dispensing solutions that support unattended formats.
The company is also expanding the application of its food brands within professional kitchens.
KITKAT Spread has been introduced to support dessert innovation by chefs. MILKMAID has found applications beyond traditional chai into bakery, desserts and Vietnamese coffee preparations. MAGGI Coconut Milk Powder has expanded into coastal cuisine applications, delivering strong double-digit growth.
Nestlé Professional has also strengthened partnerships across the foodservice ecosystem. Collaborations with Burger King India resulted in the launch of BK Fusion KITKAT Shake and Sundae across more than 500 restaurants, while alliances with Bakingo, Gianni’s Ice Cream and SOCIAL have driven dessert innovation.
India’s Second-Largest Out-of-Home Market in AOA
Nestlé’s out-of-home ambitions are backed by significant scale.
India remained the second-largest market for Nestlé’s Out-of-Home business within the Asia, Oceania and Africa region, trailing only China. Growth was supported by premiumisation, relevant innovation and deeper penetration across metro, mega-city and tier-1 markets.
As India’s foodservice industry continues to grow faster than many traditional packaged food categories, Nestlé Professional is increasingly positioning itself not merely where products are sold, but where food and beverages are consumed.
The launch at Thrissur Railway Station reflects this shift.
For travellers, it may simply mean access to a familiar cup of coffee during a journey. For Nestlé Professional, however, it represents something much larger — another step towards building one of India’s most extensive out-of-home consumption networks, connecting iconic brands with consumers wherever they work, study, travel and spend time beyond their homes.
