Client Name

Unilever Pakistan

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Usman Nazir, Assistant Professor, Department of Management

SBS Thought Leadership Areas

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

SBS Thought Leadership Area Justification

Entrepreneurship and Innovation best describes the thought leadership area of this project. This categorization is mainly due to the project’s focus on identifying market gaps through chef interviews and then utilizing the insights for new product development. The project has implications for this particular thought leadership area because it identifies challenges in the local kitchens and restaurants that are being overlooked by other brands. The project also facilitates innovation in the B2B food service segment through customized, practical and outcome driven solutions. Moreover, the practical knowledge gained regarding desi cuisine through the project can influence further research in this area focusing on innovative food solutions as well as entrepreneurship in developing markets. Lastly, it allows chefs and small and medium scale eateries to reduce their costs, increase efficiency, broaden their menu and scale the eateries using new and customized ingredients that promote entrepreneurship. Overall, the project not only benefits Unilever by catering an underserved market and increasing their penetration but also allows the local businesses to progress with these innovative solutions which will help them to professionalize and scale more efficiently.

Aligned SDGs

GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Aligned SDGs Justification

The project aligns with three sustainable development goals. Firstly, it supports the SDG goal of Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure because it supports new product development of innovative, commercially viable and scalable food solutions. Secondly it also promotes the SDG goal of responsible consumption and production by focusing on new product development that will reduce wastage in the kitchen and streamline operations. Lastly, it also supports the SDG goal of decent work and economic growth through promotion of entrepreneurship as well as supporting the local food service industry growth by providing innovative solutions that will help the businesses to scale themselves.

NDA

Yes

Abstract

Through our Experiential Learning Project (ELP) with Unilever Pakistan Limited, we had the opportunity to explore opportunities for Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) in the B2B local cuisine market. UFS has a strong presence in the Western foodservice operations but it faces challenges to penetrate in the traditional Pakistani foodservice segment. Our research focused on identifying pain points as well opportunities for product development specifically for this market.

In the first phase of our project, using pain point analysis (Holz et al., 2024), we successfully conducted primary research through chef interviews at various restaurants and areas of Karachi, supported by menu breakdowns as well as pantry assessments. Findings included traditional time-consuming cooking methods caused delays in kitchen operations. It highlighted the opportunity and need for ready to use products, that will provide convenience to chefs and retain the authentic local flavors guided by the Customer Problem-Solution fit model (Haaverstad, 2016). We developed five product concepts based on our findings.

In the phase two of our project, we analyzed the feasibility and viability of our product concepts by utilizing insights from Unilever’s product and packaging R&D team, our Line Manager, and a detailed review of the existing UFS portfolio. Three out of the five product concepts were shortlisted under Knorr and Rafhan, based on market fit and feedback from chefs.

These shortlisted products can help UFS capture high-volume markets and strengthen its long-term strategic position in Pakistan’s local desi cuisine market.

Document Type

Restricted Access

Document Name for Citation

Experiential Learning Project

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Available for download on Friday, June 11, 2027

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