Coca-Cola aims to turn Maaza the first Billion Dollar juice brand

If the firm achieves this aim, it will end up procuring 140,000 tonnes of mango pulp a year, from 100,000 farmers

The country's largest beverage company, Coca-Cola, has set an ambitious target of turning its mango-based non-fizzy drink Maaza into a Rs 6,500 crore brand in India over the next eight years. The fruit drink brand, which completed its 40th year in the country this year, has the potential to lift the beverages major's sales dramatically, the company said today.

The initiative is part of many other efforts on Coca-Cola's part, such as launching smaller pack sizes of carbonated soft drinks and focusing on premimization of its portfolio, to beat the ongoing slowdown in the consumer non-durables space, experts point out.

To achieve the feat, Coca-Cola and its bottlers will launch affordable and value-for-money juice packs, expand distribution and augment manufacturing capacity to double Maaza sales by 2023.

"The success of Maaza over the last four decades has been in its simplicity -- real mango experience in every sip. It is the perfect blend of premium Alphonso with Totapuri mango pulp rather than mango concentrate, sourced locally from some of India's best mango orchards. As we embark on this Make In India mission of turning Maaza into the world's first billion-dollar juice drink brand coming out of India, we visualize the multiplier effect that it can have on the agri sector and the food processing industry, should we be able to accomplish this mission. The Company and its partners are excited about taking up this MakeInIndia mission", Venkatesh Kini, President, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia said.

The Coca-Cola Company and its bottlers in India annually procure 70,000 metric tonnes of mango pulp worth Rs 500 crore. In 2023, if Maaza becomes the first billion-dollar juice drink brand from India, the Coca-Cola system in India will end up procuring over 140,000 metric tonnes of mango pulp worth nearly Rs 1,100 crore annually, from 100,000 farmers.

Currently, Maaza is available in 13 different packs, starting from the entry-level 100 ml Tetrafino pack to 1.85-litre PET bottles.