From trawlers to tech-driven food innovation: Falcon Group’s 40-year journey

With over four decades of legacy, the Falcon Group is charting bold new paths — from seafood exports and frozen foods to real estate, minerals, and healthcare. At the recent World Food India event, Priyanka Mohanty, Director of Falcon Marine Exports, and Gagan Sidana, Vice President – Sales of Falcon Agrifriz Foods, outlined the group’s vision, diversification strategy, world-class manufacturing, and innovation-driven growth across domestic and global markets.

Falcon marine exports: From trawlers to premium seafood

“The Falcon Group is a 40-year-old organization. We started with seafood, which is our parent business,” said Priyanka Mohanty, Director of Falcon Marine Exports, as she traced the company’s journey. “It all began with owning trawlers and then moving into processing and exporting. We have received around 15 awards as one of the country’s top exporters.”

Today, Falcon stands among India’s top five seafood exporters, with 95% of its business directed to international markets. “We primarily export to the US and EU,” Mohanty added, “with additional exports to China, Japan, Vietnam.”

Falcon’s seafood portfolio has evolved from basic commodities to value-added products such as pre-blanched, breaded, and marinated items — supplied to leading supermarket chains in the West, including Aldi, Kroger, and Walmart.

But Falcon’s vision extends beyond exports. “We have entered in retail, not limiting to ourselves for exports,” Mohanty clarified. The company currently operates four retail stores in Bhubaneswar under the brand Falcon Chilika Fresh, while also building a pan-India distribution network targeting the HoReCa sector. 

Farm-to-Fork integration and feed manufacturing

Falcon’s success is anchored in its farm-to-fork integration model, ensuring both quality and traceability across its supply chain. “We follow an integration model with farmers. We manufacture and supply feed to them, and then buy back their produce. Farmers either sell shrimp back to us under a buyback arrangement or are free to sell in open market” explained Priyanka Mohanty.

The group works closely with farming communities across Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and West Bengal.

In addition to its seafood operations, Falcon Marine also manufactures both shrimp and fish feed, with plans to significantly scale up its fish feed segment — already a substantial business on its own.

Recognizing the risks inherent in aquaculture, from disease outbreaks to natural calamities, Falcon has also pioneered aquaculture crop insurance as a pilot initiative. “It’s a first-of-its-kind effort in the industry, and we are currently evaluating few important aspects for win-win situation,” Mohanty noted.

Strategic domestic expansion - Retail and HoReCa

While exports continue to drive Falcon’s business, the group is strategically expanding its domestic footprint. “We have tie-ups with hotel chains like Taj and Trident, and we are supplying through regional distributors,” said Priyanka Mohanty.

To strengthen reach and efficiency, regional hubs are being set up in Hyderabad and Delhi, forming the backbone of a pan-India distribution network. “The goal is to reduce dependency on exports and diversify,” Mohanty emphasized, pointing to external risks such as geopolitical tensions, currency fluctuations, and import tariffs.

Manufacturing and infrastructure investments

Falcon has backed its ambitious growth with significant capital investments in manufacturing and infrastructure. “We have two processing units in Odisha and one feed manufacturing plant, with another processing unit coming up in Odisha and one in Andhra Pradesh,” shared Priyanka Mohanty.

In its frozen food vertical, French fries are produced at Falcon Agrifriz Foods’ Gujarat facility, further diversifying the group’s product portfolio.

“All our facilities are state-of-the-art, and our products are top of the line,” Mohanty added proudly. “As a family-run business, our partners enjoy direct access to management. There’s no red tape — decisions are made quickly, and issues are resolved with speed.”

Falcon Agrifriz Foods: Fast, frozen, and future-ready

Since joining in April 2024, Gagan Sidana, Vice President – Sales at Falcon Agrifriz Foods, has been instrumental in scaling up the company’s frozen foods business. “We operate one of the largest and fastest plants in the country. Our Mehsana facility has a significant capacity for French fries, along with a specialty line on expandable basis. In total, our capacity ranges from 18 - 20 tons per hour,” he noted.

The 25-acre greenfield facility, is installed in less than 24 months, is one of the rarest achievements in the sector. Today, Falcon Agrifriz is among the top three large player by volume in India’s food service segment, with a diverse product range that includes French fries, patties, and flatbreads. Its reach is powered by a nationwide network of high performing distributors and super stockists. 

Product Innovation: Tradition meets modern palate 

“We have passion to gain consumer insights, learn from peers, and understand best practices,” explained Gagan Sidana. He also highlighted the urgent need to tackle food wastage in India — especially potatoes, which are highly perishable.

Falcon’s current portfolio includes French fries (regular, crinkle-cut, and skin-on), hash browns, burger patties, and traditional flatbreads such as Pooran Poli and Malabar Paratha. While these offerings are presently focused on the B2B HoReCa segment, the company is preparing to enter the eCommerce space soon.

When it comes to innovation, Falcon takes a consumer-first approach. Pooran Poli appeals to traditional consumers, while Pooran Poli with Choco filling targets kids and Gen Z. French fries and burgers, on the other hand, remain universal favourites.”

Educating consumers about frozen foods

One of Falcon key missions is to challenge the stigma around frozen foods. “Frozen is fresh,” asserted Gagan Sidana. “People assume frozen is inferior, but in reality, vegetables and ingredients are processed at peak freshness using IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) technology — which preserves both nutrients and taste.”

Still, the category faces infrastructure challenges, particularly in cold chain logistics. Yet this has also opened new opportunities. “Tier 2, and 3 cities are driving our growth,” Sidana noted. “While metros are saturated due to high real estate costs, smaller towns are rapidly investing in cold storage, creating strong momentum for frozen food adoption.”

Partnerships, innovation, and long-term vision

While Falcon is not actively pursuing new partnerships at the moment, the group remains open to long-term collaborations with like-minded partners. “We are looking for partners who align with our values. If that happens, we are ready for a long-term association,” said Priyanka Mohanty.

At its core, Falcon’s strategy is built on innovation, infrastructure, and quality. From empowering farmers through insurance and education to pioneering frozen foods that cater to evolving consumer tastes, the group continues to build on its four-decade legacy while steering confidently into the future.