With consumers on the lookout for natural refreshment on-the-go, beverage makers like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Dabur are betting big on their fruit and juice drinks this summer. While the players continue to grow their juices business, the fruit and juice drinks business is fueling growth in the segment. The difference lies in the pulp content — juices and nectars have 70-100 per cent pulp, while fruit/juice drinks are said to contain about 15 per cent or less of such content.
Experts believe factors such as affordability and convenient packaging are fueling the segment’s growth. “The category is growing on account of increased health and wellness trends, as also the growing repertoire consumption, with consumers on the lookout for new flavours and experiences in the beverage space,” says Homi Battiwalla, business head, Juice & Juice Drinks, PepsiCo India.
“This year, our expansion for the food business will mainly be in the fruit drink category, as we believe there is tremendous potential and hence we have launched Real Burrst,” Sunil Duggal, CEO, Dabur India Ltd said.
PepsiCo’s juice drinks Tropicana Twister and Slice are growing faster than its pure juices. “Twister has been a recent launch and we are seeing good growth momentum and are in the process of widening its footprint across the country in order to leverage the opportunity,” says Battiwalla.