India Gate Basmati Rice
The Women's Day campaign turned familiar culinary words into a cultural statement, and challenged everyday language that casually objectifies women, using a viral menu-card visual.
KRBL Limited, a global leader in the food industry and the parent company of the World's No.1 Basmati Rice Brand, India Gate Basmati Rice, has launched its new campaign, #NotYourBiryani, this International Women's Day. With this initiative, the brand takes a resolute stand against everyday language that disguises objectification as praise. Words like âHot,' âSpicy,' and âSizzling' are no longer exclusive to the kitchen, used so carefreely to describe women that their original culinary meaning now seems almost secondary.
The core of the campaign is the viral #NotYourBiryani Menu Card. It places these words firmly back in their rightful setting. âSpicy' is a flavour that brings heat to a dish, not a passing remark. âHot' refers to temperature or taste, not a comment on their appearance. âSizzling' celebrates layered flavour, not a person's identity. The visual is simple, striking, and impossible to ignore. These words belong on our plates, not in the way we speak about women.
Online, the campaign gains momentum through voices that resonate with young audiences, including Nayab Midha, Ayesha Khan and Harshita Gupta, supported by hundreds of nano influencers who share their own stories with #NotYourBiryani and garnered 25M views in just a few hours. The campaign was executed in collaboration with influencer marketing agency CRACK'D.
Furthermore, on Women's Day, the campaign moves beyond social media with a Vox Pop that captures real public reactions and sparks conversations around everyday language used to describe women. The message also comes alive offline through bold billboards across the city, turning public spaces into reminders that women are not labels or metaphors.
The campaign also sparked lively brand banter online, with several well-known brands including India Gate Uplife, Pantaloons, Catch, IndiaMart, Clinikally, Lawyered, Lifelong, Mother Dairy, Suchali's Bakehouse, Taco Bell, Dhara and more joining the conversation in the comments. Their playful yet supportive responses amplified the message, turning the post into a broader cultural dialogue around respect and everyday language.
Commenting on the thought provoking campaign, Kunal Sharma, Vice President - Marketing and Organised Trade, KRBL Limited, said, "As a trusted kitchen staples partner of India, we recognise the central role that women play in shaping the community and culture, and how connection to food is woven into the social fabric of the country. At India Gate, this belief is reflected in our core philosophy, the Taste of Indian Values, which celebrates respect, dignity, and the cultural principles that bind households together. With #NotYourBiryani, we wanted to gently but firmly put certain words back where they belong. The idea is not to shame, but to spark reflection. Respect begins with everyday language, and as a household brand, we believe it is our responsibility to use our voice to challenge what has been normalised for far too long."
Amit Dhawan, Co-founder, CRACK'D, said: "For us as an agency, the objective was to build a campaign that could travel across formats and conversations. The menu card visual gave the message a simple, shareable hook, while influencer voices helped it reach the right cultural moment online. Since the message was strong, we brought in influencers that could really make it reach the right audience in the way they would hear it, enjoy it, understand it and accept it. So we collaborated with 3 different genres of creators - Nayab Midha for Poetry, Harshita Gupta for a fun banter and Ayesha Khan for serious messaging. This was further amplified via various micro and nano creators along with prominent instagram pages"
India Gate has long been part of everyday meals across India. With that presence comes responsibility. #NotYourBiryani is more than a campaign. It is a cultural wave aimed at young, socially active audiences who shape conversations online and offline. With #NotYourBiryani, India Gate turns a familiar phrase into a powerful reminder. The language we use matters. Spice is for food. Respect is for people.
Campaign Links:
Nayab Midha
Ayesha Khan
Harshita Gupta
Brand Banter Post
Vox Pop
ABOUT KRBL
KRBL Ltd. (NSE: KRBL, BSE: 530813) is a public listed global leader in premium Basmati rice and other consumer food products. KRBL's products are enjoyed daily by consumers across 90+ countries and six continents. With 135 years of legacy rooted in quality and a commitment to innovation, the company is fully integrated from farm to plate-from seed development and contact farming to processing, aging, packaging and retail distribution-ensuring top-tier standards at each step.
What began as a humble family business, has transformed into a global giant specializing in the manufacturing and marketing of premium Basmati rice. The multi-brand food company is driven by a consumer-forward portfolio that includes the flagship brand of the company, India Gate, has been recognized as the World's #1 Basmati Rice Brand along with 13 brands and a variety of products such as Regional Rice, Biryani Masalas, Edible Oils, Brown Rice, Quinoa, Chia Seeds, and Flax Seeds.
As the largest rice miller in the world, the company's dedication extends beyond products-KRBL believes that true success is linked to the well-being of the communities we serve and the health of our planet. With a deep-rooted philosophy of sustainability, the brand is committed to responsible practices that protect the environment and uphold social responsibility.
For more information, log on to https://krblrice.com/
