Soft Drinks

Beverage major Coca-Cola is selling its bottling plant in the North Gujarat region to Kandhari Global Beverages. Though the company has not shared financial details, industry insiders have pegged the deal to be around Rs 2,000 crore, where Coca-Cola will transfer business from HCCBL, its bottling arm in India, to its bottling partner Kandhari Global Beverages. The Atlanta-headquartered beverage major is divesting assets globally by franchising regional operations to local partners as part of its asset-light business model. "We have reached an agreement to transfer the North Gujarat bottling operations currently being operated by Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd (HCCBL). Subject to regulatory approvals, the North Gujarat business will be owned and operated by Kandhari Global Beverages Private Ltd," said an HCCBL spokesperson. This transfer will ensure that the right level of investments can be undertaken in all parts of the business while bringing scale and contiguity to the ..

Company gains $303 million from refranchising bottling ops in India in 2024

PepsiCo and Coca-Cola plan to launch budget-friendly soft drinks, known as B-brands, to safeguard the premium status of their flagship products and preserve profit margins

Carbonated soft drinks segment in India is unable to reach its potential in terms of scale expansion due to barriers such as high taxation under the GST regime despite government's initiatives like 'Make in India' and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', according to a report by economic think tank ICRIER. The cross-country comparative data on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) taxes collated by the World Bank shows that India has one of the highest tax rates for carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) at a total tax rate of 40 per cent as of 2023. Over 90 per cent of countries that tax SSBs have a lower tax rate than India, as per the report titled 'Carbonated Beverages Industry in India: Tax Policy to Promote Growth, Innovation and Investment'. Consumers, globally and in India, are shifting towards low-sugar and no-added sugar varieties of beverages amid heightened health awareness. "The CSD market is also changing from its traditional high sugar carbonated beverages to low-sugar and fruit-based and/or ...

While Neeraj Chopra has been identified as the highest-valued non-cricketer among Indian sportspersons, Manu Bhaker is also finalising big deals

Price increases are expected to moderate relative to last year because inflation levels are lower, Bogdanovic said

With a gradual rise in temperature and the start of heatwave, FMCG and dairy firms selling cola-based fizz drinks, juices, mineral water, ice creams and milk-based beverages expect a spike in sales and have ramped up their production and stocks to meet the anticipated consumer demand. The makers are launching new products keeping in mind the evolving consumer preferences and also investing substantially on promotions and expansion of the channels this season, company executives of beverage and ice cream makers said. Beverages major PepsiCo said summer months are naturally the most favourable season for its category and it is "optimistic" that its portfolio of brands will continue to delight consumers during the period. The company which owns brands as -- Pepsi, 7up, Mirinda, Mountain Dew, Slice, Gatorade & Tropicana, has launched campaigns taking on board leading stars such as Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Hrithik Roshan, Mahesh Babu, Kiara Adani and Nayanthara to woo ...

Another factor which plays well for cold beverage majors is the onset of Ramadan and elections which typically causes consumption to pick-up

In the Asia Pacific market, its unit case volume grew 2 per cent for the quarter, primarily driven by growth in juice, value-added dairy and plant-based beverages, and sparkling flavours

The company also achieved net sales of Rs 4,521 crore for the financial year ended 31 March 2023, a 44.9 per cent jump from sales of Rs 3,121 crore in the previous financial year

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is 200 times sweeter than sugar, but without any kilojoules

The list of officials who resigned includes Neil Comerford who was executive director (ED) of the sales and commercial department, ED, HR Indrajeet Sengupta, among others

Manufacturers are worried as they have large stocks in place and due to lower demand the inventory of dealers is also rising

This move comes at a time when demand for cold beverages increases as temperatures start to soar

The Indian soft drink market is expected to see "significant growth" as consumption is anticipated to increase steadily, which will deliver sustainable and healthy volume growth across all product categories, said Varun Beverages Ltd (VBL), PepsiCo's largest franchise bottler. This would be driven by factors such as shifting population demographics, the rising spending power of young consumers, accelerated urbanisation, and growing rural consumption. The company is in the process of further expanding its capacities to meet the higher demand expectations, said VBL in its latest annual report. Its distribution model and on-the-ground end-to-end infrastructure facilities continue to be the key growth drivers and VBL remains committed to extending it to newer areas and under-penetrated regions to further boost its market presence," it added. While from an operational standpoint, VBL continues to focus on new product categories and evolving customer preferences. Launch of new products

While Reliance hopes the gamble on the brand's popularity in the 1970s will pay off, experts feel it may not connect with the millennials, who are the major consumers of aerated drinks today

Brand to be launched across the country, beginning with Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

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Coca Cola is also being very 'open-minded' about two other India-created flavours, Maaza Aam Panna and Fanta Apple Delite

Higher global taxes on carbonated drinks have not led to decline in consumption, say firms