Soft drinks have come up to stay in the world everywhere, and have more or less become a part of our lives. Regardless of whether it is summer or winter, soft drinks are consumed throughout the year. However, wide fluctuation exits in the consumed pattern and for obvious reasons, the consumption reach its peak in the summer.
In India, the soft drinks industry came into existence in the late 50’s and early 60’s.Since then, many brands have come up over the years. Similarly, many brands have wilted under the intense competition (as if to balance the situation) and high cost of advertising. This has led to the idea that sales depend on advertising to a large extent.
In the late 80’s and early 90’s the industry had grown rapidly with the active support from the government. The major thrust from the government came in the form of the new industrial policy of 1991, which propounded the concept of liberalization and promoted foreign investments. By definition this intensifies the competition and ultimately benefits the consumers in terms of quality products and wider choice.
Over the years, the industry has grown at a very fast rate. The growth was beyond the expectations of many. It was expected that the international players would leave no stone unturned to capture the huge potential of the Indian market.
After the exit of Coca-Cola and Fanta in 1977, various brands appeared on the Indian scene, courtesy Indian entrepreneurs, which fizzled out over a period. Only a few managed to endure over the passage of time.
Indian soft drinks major, Parle products Ltd was considered as the undisputed market leader but it was caught napping by the entry of the international major PepsiCo. Still, both of them managed to carve out portions of the market between them, with Pe ...