Patanjali Foods' CEO Sanjeev Asthana said that the company continues to see healthy urban demand, while higher input costs and the rural slowdown remain key factors to watch. Shares of Haridwar‑based FMCG company Patanjali Foods rose as much as 10%, its biggest single‑day move in a year, to an intraday high of ₹399.40 on the BSE on Monday, September 21. On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), Patanjali Foods shares advanced as much as 9.11% to an intraday high of ₹400.45.

Patanjali Foods was the top gainer among shares traded in the futures and options category, attracting significant buying interest after CEO Sanjeev Asthana highlighted the company's robust urban demand outlook. Asthana told CNBC TV18 that he would be less optimistic on rural demand but felt urban demand would be good, noting the company is entering peak season and that market enthusiasm around the Pay Commission has created a broader sense of positivity. He emphasized that the company remains cautious about rural demand while remaining upbeat on urban prospects.

Asthana said he expects the food business to grow in the range of 8‑10%, adding that its biscuits business is doing well and the nutraceuticals segment is picking up. He noted that within food, only the staples category could be a source of marginal concern, but that is not a significant part of the profit configuration, so the company should be pretty much okay with that. The company also highlighted that its edible oils volume growth guidance has been revised upward to above 4% due to lower domestic crop availability.

Yoga guru Swami Ramdev backed company reported a net profit in the first quarter of the current financial year surged 87% to ₹336 crore from ₹180 crore in the same period last year. Its revenue from operations advanced 29% to ₹11,337 crore compared with ₹8,766 crore in the year‑ago period. The company reported strong operational performance as its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) advanced 69% to ₹543 crore and EBITDA margin improved by 110 basis points to 4.8%.

As of 2:32 pm, Patanjali Foods shares traded 9.2% higher at ₹396.50, outperforming the NIFTY LARGEMIDCAP 250 index which was trading marginally higher. The company’s guidance for edible oils volume growth has been revised upward to above 4%, reflecting lower domestic crop availability, while the biscuits and nutraceuticals segments continue to perform well. The company’s overall outlook remains positive on urban demand, though it remains cautious about rural demand, according to CEO Sanjeev Asthana.