Updated October 2026: I wrote this in April 2010, soon after we launched Cocoguru. Several things have changed since; see “Looking back in 2026” at the end.
Most people know only one coconut oil brand: Parachute. Soon after we launched Cocoguru, I set out how the two differ — in purpose, process, raw material and price.
Is Parachute coconut oil edible? Parachute’s pure coconut oil is classified as edible coconut oil, so it can be used for cooking, although it is sold mainly for hair care. Its other variants, such as Jasmine and Tender Coconut, are hair oils and are not edible.
When I ask people which coconut oil brands they know, most of them name Parachute — and often only Parachute. The name has become another word for coconut hair oil. Marico deserves credit for turning a commodity into a brand and capturing over half of India’s branded coconut oil market. It has also been good for India’s coconut farmers: about one in every ten coconuts grown in India goes to Marico.
Now that we have launched Cocoguru, people ask me: “Parachute is available everywhere, so why Cocoguru?” Here is my answer.
1. What the brand stands for
Parachute stands for hair care, and coconut oil is one of the ways it nourishes hair. That is why the brand also sells hair cream, jasmine oil and non-sticky hair oil. Cocoguru stands for the natural goodness of coconut in all its forms. Today we offer coconut oil, coconut oil cake and edible copra. We plan to add more coconut-based products, such as desiccated coconut powder and coconut milk, to bring the full value of the coconut to people.
2. Cooking oil or hair oil
Both brands sell 100% pure coconut oil that meets the food law of the time (the PFA Act), so both are edible. But Parachute is used mostly as a hair oil, across India and abroad, and has a mainstream market. Cocoguru is used mostly as a cooking oil in coastal Karnataka — a niche market.
We believe coconut oil does the most good when it is part of your diet, though it is also an excellent hair oil. The packs show the difference: Parachute comes in small blue HDPE bottles, usually up to 1 litre, while Cocoguru comes in pouches, PET bottles and cans.
3. Cold press or heat press
Parachute is made in large volumes by heat pressing: the copra is heavily roasted to drive out moisture, then crushed at high temperature and pressure. This gives oil with a stronger smell, a longer shelf life and a higher yield.
In 2010, Cocoguru used only the cold press (ghani) process: sun-dried copra is crushed without high heat or pressure, keeping the natural goodness of the coconut. Cold pressed oil has a milder aroma and is almost colourless; heat-pressed oil tends to look yellowish.
4. Quality of the dried coconut (copra)
In cold pressing, the oil is only as good as the dried coconut (copra) that goes in. One bad piece can spoil a whole batch, so we sort our copra carefully by hand. Heavy roasting and heat pressing can hide the taste and smell of poor-quality copra, which is why careful sorting matters most in cold pressing.
5. Crushing for farmers
Parachute is made in large factories and sold across the country. We are close to our local customers: farmers can bring their own copra to our mill, have it crushed, and take home the oil and oil cake for a small fee.
6. Cost and price
In 2010, a 500 ml bottle of Parachute sold for ₹ 90, and a 500 ml pouch of Cocoguru for ₹ 30 — a third of the price, for what we believe is the better oil.
The gap comes from cost. Parachute carries the overheads of a listed company, a nationwide distribution network and heavy advertising. Cocoguru is a family business that sells locally and buys copra directly from farmers. Taxes added to the gap: Parachute was taxed as a cosmetic, at 13.5% VAT plus 8% excise duty, while Cocoguru, as an edible oil, paid 5% VAT and no excise duty.
7. Where Parachute is stronger
To be fair, Parachute is far ahead of us in brand recognition, in reach across India, and in packaging ideas — from ₹ 1 sachets to 1-litre bottles.
At a glance:
| Parameter | Parachute | Cocoguru |
|---|---|---|
| Used mainly as | Hair oil | Cooking oil |
| Process | Highly roasted, heat pressed | Cold pressed and mildly roasted |
| Market | All India and abroad | Coastal Karnataka |
| Packs | Small HDPE bottles, sachets | Pouches, PET bottles, cans |
| 500 ml price (2010) | ₹ 90 | ₹ 30 |
| Tax (2010) | 13.5% VAT + 8% excise | 5% VAT |
Is Parachute a threat to Cocoguru?
No. Cocoguru serves a small but loyal market in coastal Karnataka, where coconut oil is a cooking oil. This market is very price-sensitive and too small to interest a national player like Parachute. Still, given its influence, I wish Marico had done more to promote coconut oil as a healthy cooking oil; instead, it moved into other edible oils with brands such as Saffola and Sweekar.
Our real competitors are cheap substitutes like refined palm oil and sunflower oil — and the common belief that coconut oil is bad for the heart because of its saturated fat. Changing that belief is our biggest challenge.
Looking back in 2026
Sixteen years on, some of this has changed, and some of what I believed has grown with experience.
- Roasted oil. We now make Roasted coconut oil too. It is mildly roasted, to suit cooking. Hair oils like Parachute are roasted far more heavily, to extend shelf life, strengthen the aroma and get a higher oil yield.
- Both have their place. Experience has taught me that each oil has its use. Some people like roasted, some like cold pressed. Where a strong coconut aroma is wanted, roasted oil is better. For deep frying, or where the coconut aroma should not overpower other flavours, cold pressed oil is better.
- How we cold press. We used the ghani until 2019 and have used an expeller since. Only oil from the first crushing goes into our Cold Pressed oil: the sediment (foots) left from crushing and filtering is never crushed again to add to it.
- Crushing for farmers. This service is now offered by our sister concern, Sri Rama Industries, at Yelmudi.
- New products. We have not yet made the other coconut products we planned. Instead, we added snacks and sweets fried in our own coconut oil.
- Taxes and law. GST replaced VAT and excise duty in 2017. Today Parachute is classified as edible coconut oil for tax purposes while being marketed mainly as a hair oil, so it is taxed at the edible oil rate. The Food Safety and Standards Act replaced the PFA Act in 2011.