MUMBAI, Oct. 28 -- After two decades of dominating kitchens in southern India, Orkla India-the force behind the MTR and Eastern brands-is now testing investors' appetite for India's packaged-food boom. The Rs.1,667-crore initial public offering (IPO), opening Wednesday, is an offer-for-sale (OFS) of 22.8 million shares priced between Rs.695 and Rs.730 apiece, by the promoter entity Orkla Asia Pacific Pte and other shareholders, Navas Meeran and Feroz Meeran.

A subsidiary of Norway's $11 billion consumer-goods major Orkla ASA, the company sells over 2.3 million packs daily across 400 products, from spices to ready-to-eat meals. Though rooted in south Indian culinary traditions, its reach extends to 45 countries, with exports contributing ...