Now, Rasna plans entry into fortified water market

The company plans to launch some two to three more products in the coming months

Soft drink concentrate and beverage maker Rasna is now planning to enter the fortified water space soon. Rasna's newly formed beverages division that manufactures and markets its Ju-C brand of ready-to-drink fruit juices, is likely to launch fortified-water (or vitamin added water) in the coming months.

"Fortified water is definitely a part of our portfolio, and from the beverages division we are planning to launch some two to three more products in the coming months," said Piruz Khambatta, chairman and managing director of Rasna Pvt Ltd.

Khambatta added that the company planned to make an investment of about Rs 40-50 crore over the next two years to strengthen its beverages division. Currently, the Rasna Ju-C beverages are getting contract manufactured, while the company itself does the sourcing of the key raw materials as well as does the processing at the company owned plants. "Only the bottling of the beverages is done at the hired plants. In the coming years, if we feel there is need for a mother plant for beverages, we are open to that," Khambatta said.

Rasna's new beverages division will operate as an independent business unit, based out of Delhi and is headed by president and CEO Arshad Siddiqui.

Rasna Pvt. Ltd. is a family-owned business house and one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of beverage and processed food in India.

Rasna created a category of soft drink concentrate in the beverage category and today, the company has the largest capacity in Asia to make powder concentrate with seven facilities spread across the country.

The company has a distribution network comprising 35 depots, 2,500 stockists, 1.8 million retail outlets and a sales force of over 700 across the country. Rasna's products are available in more than 40 countries worldwide.

The company at present enjoys over 80 per cent market share in the powdered and concentrates category.

Khambatta, said, "Rasna has come a long way in the soft beverage category ever since it was started several decades ago. It has, at all times made efforts to offer the best possible value proposition in keeping with the Indian mindset of 'value for money'.

The introduction of the new category signifies our acknowledgement that we have developed an innovative product and believe in offering the best products to our customers; products that are enriched with natural taste, more nutritional value and a variety of flavours albeit at very competitive prices."