Pepsi changes recipe for first time in India, goes low on sugar: Report

"This is a move aimed at closing in on the category leader ThumsUp," a Pepsi official told the 'Economic Times'.

PepsiCo will make its flagship carbonated drink Pepsi less sweet and more fizzy, changing its formulation for the first time in India, reported the Economic Times.

The move will place Pepsi at par with rival brands Coke and ThumsUp, which have stayed less sweet in comparison, the report said. The rework also comes at a pivotal summer quarter (April-June), which accounts for more than half of the packaged beverage industry's annual sales of Rs 28,000 crore in India. Out of this, Cola's segment is estimated to be about Rs 9,800 crore.

"Pepsi has tradtinally been a sweeter drink,