Competitive study of Bottled Water Market

Competitive study of
Bottled Water Market

SIMSR MMS 2008-10 “A”

01-26-001

Date of Submission
08th September, 2008

K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research,

Vidyanagar, Vidyavihar, Mumbai - 400077

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Prof. Bhagyalakshmi for giving me an opportunity to work

upon this project. A task of this nature would have been incomplete without the
active support of two Kirana stores vendors in Mulund – Karsan Bhai (Apna Ghar)
and Rajesh Bhai (Rajesh General Stores). And finally my classmates, discussions
with whom have helped me in deciding the flow of the project.

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INDEX

Sr.No Topic Page no.

1 Executive summary 03
2 Introduction 04
3 History of bottled water Industry 05
International Scenario 05
Indian Scenario 05
Current Scenario 06
4 Big players keen to get into Bottled Water Industry 09
Rules and regulations pertaining to bottled water
5 10
industry
6 Labelling Standards 10
7 Market size by volume and value 11
8 Market Categorisation 11
9 Market segmentation 11
10 Retail outlets 12
11 Sales trends 13
12 Challenges faced by bottled water marketer 13
13 SWOT Analysis 15
14 Brand-wise details 17
15 Packaged drinking Bottled Water 18
16 Parle Bisleri Pvt. Ltd. 18
17 Kinley 22
18 Aquafina 25
19 Natural Mineral Water - Himalayan 28
20 Observations 32
21 Bibliography 33

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

While the unimaginable growth rates of more than 40% in the Bottled Water Industry can be
explained due to huge untapped unorganized market and more than 200 players in the field, the
present growth rate of 25-30% is sustainable for another 5-6 years.

The market size of bottled water too is expected to surpass the size of soft drinks market in near
future. The next in queue seems to be HLL, which too has identified the bottled water as a growth
area for future. The company is presently looking or some suitable brand for acquisition. The
existing players too are set to expand their distribution network to have their presence across the
country.

The market is also expected to undergo a major consolidation phase. As one of the major factors
that are important for success in the market is the distribution network, the players with deep
pockets are expected to go for acquisition of existing small regional players to spread their
network across the country. Though Coke and Pepsi have both, well established distribution
network as well as bottling & manufacturing plants, they seem to be at an advantage but players
like HLL with strong financial muscle can easily turn the tables in their favour through
acquisition route. It is expected that the market would continue to grow at a healthy rate of 25-
30% for few years from now and the market size too, is expected to increase from Rs.1600cr to
Rs. 12,364cr by 2010.

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INTRODUCTION

Water forms an essential part of every living being. After air, water is the most important
necessity for life. Water plays a number of functions for the body. It serves as the body's
transportation system, it acts as a lubricant, it regulates the body temperature etc. The
eulogy for water is an unending thing. In fact more than 2/3rd of the human body is made of
water. The importance of water for human body can be well accessed from the fact that if
the amount of water in our body is reduced by just 1-2%, we feel very thirsty. If it's reduced
by 5%, our skin will shrink and we will have difficulty moving our muscles and if it's
reduced by 10%, we will die.

Moreover with this commodity being a human necessity it makes best sense to do business
in. As a normal human being requires on an average needs 2-3 litres of water everyday and
world population is more than 6 billion (growing at 2-3% annually), the business
opportunity is humongous and the potential is largely untapped. These facts about water
added to the growing number of cases of water borne diseases, increasing water pollution,
increasing urbanization, increasing scarcity of pure and safe water etc. have made the
bottled water business quite lucrative. In addition with getting pure drinking water from
municipal taps in cities and towns becoming a luxury the scenario has become so lucrative
in business sense that the opportunity is being misused by a number of companies especially
in our country. These companies are selling plain tap water under the name of mineral water
and are be-fooling consumers. The situation has got aggravated by lack of awareness among
common people about mineral water and also due to lack of initiatives on part of the
government both on count of setting stringent norms as well as on taking action against
non-compliers. In fact one of the major factor for flourishing of the sector is the public fear
that water supplied by civic bodies is impure.

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HISTORY OF BOTTLED WATER

International scenario:
The tradition of bottled water is not very old. Even in western countries the practice of bottled
drinking water started in 1950s. The trend of having mineral water gained grounds in the market.

Since ancient time people have used water from mineral springs, especially hot springs, for
bathing due to its supposed therapeutic value for rheumatism, arthritis, skin diseases, and various
other ailments. Depending on the temperature of the water, the location, the altitude, and the
climate at the spring, it can be used to cure different ailments. This started the trend of using
mineral water for drinking purpose to exploit the therapeutic value of the water. This trend
started gaining momentum in mid 1970s and since then large quantities of bottled water from
mineral springs in France and other European countries are exported every year. The concept of
bottled water has been quite prevalent in western countries due to greater health consciousness
and higher awareness about health and hygiene. In United States, the bottled water industry is
regulated on four levels: federal (by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a food product),
state, industry association, and individual company. EPA (Environment Protection Agency)
regulates public water systems. FDA regulates bottled water that crosses state lines.

Indian scenario:
In 1967 Bisleri set up a bottling plant for manufacturing and marketing its mineral water but
failed. The brand was later sold off to Parle in 1968-69. Mineral water market had its seeding as
early as 1968-69 when Parle Group acquired the Bisleri brand from Bisleri of Italy for launching
Soda water but later launched bottled water also. The launch at that time was a big flop as
concept of buying water that too in bottled form was not accepted by the Indian public. The
market remained dormant for quite long (for a period of 20 years or so). The market throughout
this period was formed only by the premium products that too available through 5-star hotels. In
early 1990s with onset of liberalization policy by the Indian government , coming in of cola

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majors, sell off of local soft drink brands of Campa, Thumps up, Gold Spot etc by Parle to Coke
and other factors led Bisleri to test waters again. Bisleri re-launched its bottled water in 1994. By
this time with exposure of media and exposure to international life styles, deteriorating levels of
potable water, increase in a number of water borne cases, increase in awareness about health and
hygiene and other related factors led to acceptability of concept of mineral water. The market has
not looked back ever since then and has grown leaps and bounds to such an extent that a number
of genuine as well as fly-by -night operators have entered it to milch it.

CURRENT SCENARIO

There's no questioning the existence of a market for water: the typical human needs between a
litre and two a day; India's 1 billion plus population needs between 1 billion and 2 billion litres a
day; even if the number crunching is restricted to the country's 100-odd million consuming
classes, the result is a staggering 100-200 million litres a day, or 36.5-73 billion litres a year. In
money terms, at Rs.10 a litre, the potential market could be worth between Rs 36,500 and Rs
73,000 crore. The packaged drinking water market in India is huge and growing. On account of
the dominant presence of unorganised regional players in the market, estimates for the actual size
of this segment vary. However, it is believed that:

• The domestic bottled water industry in size is: Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,800 crore
• Growth Rate: 25-30% per annum (Ahead of the growth rate of 7.6% reported for
global market as a whole in 2006)
• Increase in the domestic demand: from 2mn cases in 1990 to an estimated 68mn cases
by 2006
• India: estimated to be the 10th largest bottled water consumer in the world
• Brands: more than 1800
• Key Brands: Bisleri (Parle) Bailley (Parle),
Kinley (Coca-Cola), Oxyrich (Manikchand),
Aquafina (Pepsi Foods), Himalayan(TATA Enterprise),
Bailley (Parle), Evian(Danone)
Perrier(Nestle), Sumeru, Brook etc.

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Western region - the largest market

The western region, that is Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa, accounts for a large chunk of around
35-40% of the overall domestic market. Key players in the western region such as the
Manikchand Group, Coca-Cola India are keenly contemplating organic and inorganic growth
strategies, launch of new brands, venturing into newer segments and so on. Companies in the
region are using a combination of various strategies to tap business opportunities such as tie-ups
with cinema halls, retail outlets, hotels, hospitals, super markets, institutions and other
distribution channels, which abound in the western region of the country. Managing logistics is
at the core for the success of bottled water manufacturers. Indeed, groups like Amul India are
deliberating using its existing retail network to market and distribute its bottled water. This
region is also poised to make a notable contribution to the great Indian bottled water growth
story in terms of taking lead in launching water variants and newer sub-segments like mineral
water, spring water, flavored water and so on.

Emerging prospects
The water variants segment is perceived as the area in which much of the action will take place
in future. This emerging segment contributes around 10% to the bottled water market at present
and currently, Mount Everest Mineral Water Company (brand Himalaya), with its key market in
the western region, is the dominant player, with a market share of around 75% in the spring
water segment. Many other companies like Parle, PepsiCo, etc. are also toying with the idea of
launching flavored water that would directly compete with carbonated drinks.

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BIG PLAYERS KEEN TO GET INTO BOTTLED WATER

Hindustan Lever (HLL), the consumer goods giant, has initiated plans to enter this sector. The
company is considering whether to set up its own facilities for bottled water or go in for an
acquisition.

Nestle India entered this market with the launch of its brand `Pure Life' in New Delhi. It plans to
grab a 50% market share in the next two years and emerge as a strong player. The company has
not ruled out acquiring existing brands. The product will be available in other cities as well soon.
The water is bottled at Nestlé’s new plant at Samalkha in Haryana. Nestle has already launched
two of its global premium mineral water brands `Perrier' and `San Pellegrino' which are targeted
at niche markets.

Apollinaris, a natural sparkling mineral water brand, has been introduced close on the heels of
Nestle coming out with its sparkling water brands - Perrier and San Pellegrino. The product is
being imported and distributed by the Mumbai based company, Veekay Food & Beverages. It is
now available at restricted retail outlets in Mumbai and Delhi and a separate sub-brand is
simultaneously being launched to take care of institutional sales.

It is also being launched under the sub-brand of Big Apple and Lemon. But the product is in a
different price bracket altogether with the 750 ml Apollinaris Big Apple pegged at Rs.99 and the
one litre Apollinaris Classic sparkling water at Rs.90.

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TYPES OF BOTTLED WATER

1. Artesian well water/ Bottled water:

Bottled water from a well that taps a confined aquifer (a water-bearing underground layer of
rock or sand) in which the water level stands at some height above the top of the aquifer.
Another name for bottled water. Accordingly, drinking water is water that is sold for human
consumption in sanitary containers and contains no added sweeteners or chemical additives
(other than flavors, extracts or essences). It must be calorie-free and sugar-free. Flavors,
extracts or essences may be added to drinking water, but they must comprise less than one-
percent weight of the final product or the product will be considered a soft drink.

2. Mineral water:
Bottled water containing not less than 250 parts per million total dissolved solids may be
labeled as mineral water. Mineral water is distinguished from other types of bottled water by
its constant level and relative proportions of mineral and trace elements at the point of
emergence from the source. No minerals can be added to this product.

3. Purified water:
Water that has been produced by distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis or other suitable
processes can be labeled as purified bottled water. Other suitable product names for bottled
water treated by one of the above processes may include "distilled water" if it is produced by
distillation, "de-ionized water" if the water is produced by deionization, or "reverse osmosis
water" if the process used is reverse osmosis.

4. Sparkling water:
Water that after treatment and possible replacement with carbon dioxide contains the same
amount of carbon dioxide that it had at emergence from the source.

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RULES AND REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO BOTTLED WATER

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has just recently got involved in the process. In September
2000, the Government of India made it mandatory for all bottled water companies to get an ISI
mark, including imported bottled water brands like Evian and Perrier. The Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare had set a deadline of Mar 29, 2001 for complying with the new norms.

LABELLING STANDARDS

STANDARDS PERTAINING TO LABELING OF A PRODUCT IN THE INDUSTRY:

• Label should have consumer brand name
• Label should have the name of the product category
• Label should have name and address of the manufacturer
• Label should have net weight or volume
• Label should have the batch number
• Label should have the name of source or place of origin of the product
• Label should have the date of packaging
• Label should have the date of expiry
• Label should have direction for storage
• Label should have treatment for disinfections
• Label should have the license or certification from the concerned authority.

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MARKET SIZE BY VOLUME AND VALUE

The market size of Packaged Drinking Bottled water is around 1600 crore, and Mumbai market
constitute around 10% which is 100 crores. Market has grown by around 500 crores in the last
few years. Current growth rate estimated is 25%, which is one of the highest of all industries.

MARKET CATEGORISATION
The market of packaged drinking water is categorized as follows:

Theatres / cinema halls/ multiplexes Corporates

Caterers Picnic spots
Clubs, Gymkhanas Hotels, Resort
.In-flight kitchens. College canteens. General Stores etc.

MARKET SEGMENTATION
The bottled water market is segmented according to the type of consumers:
• Foreign Tourists:
Foreign tourists have been the main consumers of the bottled water as they
face a lot of digestion problems due to different food habits.
• Domestic Tourists:
Domestic tourists have switched to mineral water mainly because of safety
and hygiene factors.
• Fashion Conscious:
Like soft drinks, drinking mineral water is also considered fashionable by
some people.
The bottled water consumer is mainly in the age group of 20-35 years
and is an educated middle class person. This is also the segment of fruit
drinks, which have usually been positioned as fun and health drink for young

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adults.

The bottled water market is also segmented along pack sizes:

•One litre bottle: It is meant to spell safety and security for consumers. It is
positioned on a prestige platform for the segment who like to make a fashion
statement by drinking mineral water. This segment gets the maximum sales.
•500ml bottle: This size has been introduced in the market to target the
individual and local travelers.
•PET bottles: The size of the PET bottles varies from 10 to 20 litres. These are
mainly for institutional sales (Wedding parties, Hotels, Corporates, etc.)

Retail Outlets
There are above 5mn retail outlets in India
Classification Bottled water sales in %

Grocery & General Store 40

Departmental Stores 03
Cold Drink House 02
Hotels & Restaurants 05
Beer Bars 02
Pan Bidi Shops 28
Others 20

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SALES TREND

As we can see from the diagram above that most of the sales of Bottled water comes in the
summer season. Therefore, the right time to launch such type of product and promote it
intensively is the summer season.
In monsoon time also a good response can be generated because there are people who are very
much conscious of their health and this makes them to go for packaged water. Therefore, the
sales are good in rainy season.

In winter season the sales are very low because of climatic condition

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CHALLENGES FACED BY BOTLED WATER MARKETER

1.To understand consumer habits and practices:
• Consumers are growing more health conscious and are more careful of their drinking
habits.
• Brand loyalty is very low as all the products taste the same so they can buy just any
product which is on the shelf, same as that of soft drinks and fruit beverages.
• Availability in the chilled form and brand awareness plays a crucial role in purchase
decisions.
• While there is no aversion to consumption of mineral water by any age group, this
product is mainly consumed by the people in the age group of 20-35 years who have less
attraction of soft drinks or other synthetic drinks whereas youngsters look in for soft
drinks and fruit beverages to quench their thirst.
• Visibility is another factor that should be taken care of by the companies as
consumers are not very brand loyal and consume whatever is in front of them
• Water is perceived to be a freely available resource. Hence customers will have a
mental block in paying for drinking water
• The market is mostly restricted in terms of usage situations. Most of us buy mineral
water only while traveling. (ofcourse in places where pure water is unavailable, even
households buy mineral water)
Also, the following things should be taken into consideration:
• Water is a commodity. Hence to brand it and sell it is in itself a herculean task
• Between brands, to differentiate is not easy
• The market is price sensitive.

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WHY PEOPLE DRINK BOTTLED WATER?

• Source: American Water Works Association Research Foundation, Consumer Attitude Survey on Water
Quality Issues

SWOT ANALYSIS OF BOTTLED WATER INDUSTRY

STRENGTHS
• The industry is growing @ 25% annually
• Promotional strategies adopted by the players have been highly successful
• Packaging material is easly available in the industry

WEAKNESSES
• Rural population is not using the packaged water
• Not very economical – differential pricing is practiced by retailers and multiplexes
• Quality is not properly maintained
• There have been cases in the past where seal is tampered
• High level of pesticides have been found in bottled water

OPPORTUNITIES

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• Country has witnessed people falling prey to various water-borne diseases and hence the
consumption of bottled water is increasing
• Literacy rate is growing and hence the awareness of safe drinking water to avoid the
diseases
• Fear in the minds of people against using tap water has been the primary reason for the
increase in the growth rate in this industry.
• The packaged water business has shown robust signs of growth as more and more
consumers have become increasingly hygiene-conscious
• Bad quality of municipal tap water
• Huge population & untapped market
• Many tourists visit India
• People living in metros have started preferring bottled water in restaurants too, if it is not
priced too high then its market price
• The prices of soft drinks have, in fact, doubled in the last ten years and
this has happened because the price of concentrates has shot up during this period
• With water scarcity in several cities, even households are demanding bottled water

THREATS
• Many substitutes available like fruit juices, soft drinks, branded water filters etc.
• Too many players entering will dilute the market & the profit margin.

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BRAND WISE DETAILS

Brand wise market share:

The ORG-MARG survey conducted recently shows that the market leader Bisleri is having 40%
market share followed by Kinley, Aquafina, Himalayan and others with 30%, 11%, 5% and 14%
respectively.
One thing is very clear that the market leader is Bisleri with Kinley, Aquafina, and Himalayan
are the trailers, and now with Manikchand into mineral water, the competition is becoming
tough.

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PACKAGED DRINKING BOTTLED WATER

Company: Parle Bisleri Private Limited.

Brand: Bisleri
In 1969, When Ramesh J. Chauhan, Chairman of Bisleri International, bought the Bisleri brand
from an Italian entrepreneur, the last thing on his mind was bottling water and selling it. Chauhan
was on the hunt for a branded soda (carbonated water) to complete his portfolio. Signore Felice
Bisleri, who created the eponymous brand in 1965, introduced the concept of bottled water to
India in the same year. Chauhan turned the spotlight squarely on bottled water only in 1993, after
selling his soft drinks stable to Coca-Cola.

To be sure, Chauhan can take credit for creating a category from scratch, which is today
estimated to have a market size of Rs.1600 crore (just the organised sector). In the process, he
has succeeded in making Bisleri a generic name for bottled water; he controls 40% of the market
in volume terms; owns a brand that consultants have valued at Rs 3,000crore; and is growing at
35-40%annually, faster than the industry rate of 25%

• Origin: Italian entrepreneur Felice Bisleri brings the bottled water brand to India in 1965
• Sold earlier: In glass bottles, in two variants: Bubbly and Still
• The Chauhan factor: In 1969, Chauhan buys the brand (for its club soda)
• Big break: In 1993, when Bisleri was sold in half-litre packages for Rs.5
• Big gamble: A foray into transportation. It worked. Today, Chauhan has some 2,000
trucks nationwide
• Annual growth rate of Bisleri: 35-40 %
• Market Share: 40%
• Bottles sold per day: 15mm
• Number of retail outlets covered: 3,15,000
• Exclusive distributors: 3,400
• Number of factories: 54, will have another 30-32 more by March 2010

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• New variants: Bisleri Mountain Water, Bisleri Mountain Water from the Himalayas.
Contemplating launch of enhanced water, vitamin water and flavoured water
• Advantage: Focus is water unlike its competitors like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Kingfisher,
Manikchand for whom water is just another business and not the flagship one.

Marketing Mix:

Product:

• Bisleri was launched in Mumbai, in glass bottles, in two variants: Bubbly and Still.
• Now, the product comes in different packs starting from 250ml cups, 250ml bottles,
500ml, 1L, 1.5L, 2L which are the non-returnable packs & 5L, 20L which are the
returnable packs.
• The home pack was made more user-friendly by introducing pouring spouts and jars with
dispensers.
• Bisleri noticed that during wedding receptions, the older guests (above 50 years of age)
generally stayed away from ice cream, soft drinks and so on. Hence, it introduced free
sampling of Bisleri at the tables where the elderly guests would sit. Soon customers were
ordering bottled water on special occasions

SIZE SALES
1L 50%
2L 20%
Others 30%

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Price:

Bisleri is pursuing a price strategy and is confident that with the growth in volumes it will be
able to bring down the prices. For instance while the 500ml is priced at Rs.8, 1-litre bottle is
priced at Rs 12(Rs. 6/0.5L) Rs.22 for 2Ls and the 20-litre pack at 75 (Rs 3.75 per litre).

Trade Promotion:

• Bisleri differentiates by its breakaway seal as an assurance of purity. Market research

conducted by Bisleri revealed that the overriding concern for set of buyers is the
tampering of the seal and the reuse of bottles. Many have witnessed used bottles being
refilled at railway stations. So when a consumer buys mineral water, he would like to be
assured that the water has not been tampered with.
• Bisleri is promoted by an aggressive print-and-TV backed by hoardings and point-of-
sale material. Every interface with the consumer is being used as an opportunity to
reinforce the message. For instance, all vehicles used for supply have been painted in
bright blue, bear the Bisleri logo and sport catchy baselines like ‘drink and drive’.
• Apart from creating consumer pull with an advertising campaign bisleri is boosting the
retail push as well. Distribution is the key. The consumer will pick up whatever is
conveniently available and is pushed by the retailer
• Schemes: One Litre: One Box free on 5 Box. Half Litre :One Bottle free on 1 Box

Target Market Segment: Health Conscious people

Positioning: Safe Water

Production,Distribution and Place:

Being a heavy but low-priced product, transporters were not willing to touch Bisleri’s water
bottles. Solution? Transport the water on its own. The gamble has paid off; today Bisleri has over
2,000 trucks moving the Bisleri range. In Mumbai, it has a bottling plant in Andheri which has
80 large vehicles out of which 50 are for specific areas.

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Retail outlets: 3,15,000 (paan shops are one of the most popular)

Exclusive distributors: 3,400

Plants: 8

Franchises: 11

Number of factories: 54, will have another 30-32 more by March 2010

For 250ml-5L: The company directly approaches the retailer.

For 20 Ltr. Jar:Bisleri sells its product through its own network and has also appointed
Distributors for each area to sell its product.

To effectively service the end consumer Bisleri has been working to continuously establish fresh
bottling and distribution capacities.
Over the course of the last one year, capacities have come up at 9 locations and the period from
August to December 2008 will see 7 additional capacities to go on stream

Distribution Weakness:

• Company is not addressing the compliant from distributor and end user
• Company does not use Polycarbonate Jars in 20 Litre, which result in loss of face value
and ultimately losing customer.

Go global
Bisleri plans to take its mountain water brands international, to Europe, America and West Asia.
It has not yet started exporting because it is still working on getting the packaging right, looking
for innovative, light-weight and sturdy packaging material

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Company: Hindustan Coca cola Beverages Private Limited

Brand: Kinley

Coke has identified bottled water as among its big ideas for growth, and its working brand
Kinley has undergone a significant revamp. Kinley was launched by Coca-Cola India in the end
of 2000. The brand enjoys 29.8% of Indian bottled water market share. Kinley also contributes
5% to Coca-Cola’s revenue in India.

MARKETING MIX

Product:

• Kinley is available in pack sizes of 500 ml, 1 litre, 1.5 litres, 2 litres, 5 litres, 20 litres and
25 litres.
• COCA-COLA India is set to introduce Kinley, its bottled water brand, in 200-ml cups
this season. The cups will be priced at Rs 3 each.
• The bottles now come in a new 'easy to hold' shape; and the label has changed from the
previous blue to a transparent one.
• Quality: ISI Marked.

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Packaging:

• In the eight years of existence, for the first time the brand has reconsidered its packaging.
Earlier, the communication was more about safety but now it is not only about a new
look, it’s more about the functionality. The transparent label conveys what the brand
stands for.
• Apart from new packaging, a new piece of integrated communication, sporting the new
packaging and tagline, 'Boond Boond Mein Vishwas', has also been rolled out. This is
the first concerted effort for the brand in the past three years.
• The packaging is done pet bottles and polycarbonate jars

Trade Promotion:
• Effective TV ads (Boond Boond mein vishwas)
• Banking on Parent Brand
• Mobile Van
• For 1L bottles the company gives 1 box free on two boxes to the retailers

Price:
Size Cost
500ml Rs.8
1L Rs.13
25L Rs.75
The company plans to launch 200ml cups for Rs.3 each.

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Production, Distribution and Place:

• The company now has separate distribution channels for Kinley and carbonated soft
drinks (CSDs) in key markets such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata.
• Plants: 16
• Reaches 5,00,000 retail outlets
• It has identified 10-15 sites for additional plants for water this calendar year, and these
will be a combination of company-owned plants, franchisee operations and contract
packers.
• For 500ml – 5L the company directly approaches the suppliers
• For 20L and 25L the company sells its products through its own network only. It has
appointed HDA (Home delivery Agent) for some areas to sell its product.
• Last year, in the bulk water segment in Delhi and Pune, Coca-Cola had tied up with
Nuchem Weir and Thermax Culligan Water Technologies respectively.
• In Kolkata, a similar contract was struck with Bisleri's franchisee, and later with S.R
Minerals in Chennai, which was marketing the Hello brand in the city.
• Distribution Weakness: Not been able to penetrate in interior area since they have not
appointed Distributors in most of the area
• The water is produced at Coca-Cola's three Greenfield manufacturing
plants at Bidadi near Bangalore, Dasna in Uttar Pradesh and Goa. The company plans to
either add more water bottling operations or go for contract bottling as it goes national.

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Company: PepsiCo India limited

Brand: Aquafina

Aquafina was launched in India in 1998, the first time the brand was introduced in any market
outside the US. Aquafina, the largest-selling bottled water brand in the US, was launched in large
packs for the discerning direct-to-home consumer for the first time in Hyderabad, India.
Aquafina accounts for 7% of PepsiCo’s revenue. Aquafina meets stringent international and
national quality standards for water purity set by World Health Organisation (WHO) and Bureau
of Indian Standards (BIS). As of July 27, 2007, PepsiCo put a disclaimer stating the water comes
from a "public source" on each bottle. Aquafina uses the term "Purified Drinking Water" on its
label since 27 Jul’07 as there were allegations that the water does not originate from public
sources.

Product:

• Aquafina is available in 1/2L, 1L,1.5L, 2L, 5L and 25L bottles

• 100% tamper-proof seal
• Aquafina 25 Litre jars are fully transparent, with no blue tint that hides impurities. This
way, you can be absolutely sure of the water you are receiving

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Quality:

• ISI marked
• It uses the most advanced state-of-the-art 7 step purification system in the country.
The stringent purification process namely Chlorination, Sand Filtration, Activated carbon
purifier, 5 Micron Polisher, Ultraviolet, Reverse Osmosis, 1 Micron Polisher and
Ozonation. Reverse Osmosis (RO), using the best of membrane technologies, is at the
heart of the Aquafina purification process.

Positioning:
Bottled water that has undergone most stringent process and quality checks before selling it.

Trade Promotion:
• Special corporate offer: Aquafina gives out free Hot and Cold Dispenser for a
minimum purchase of 5 jars a day for the corporate offices.
• Aqua Man: Pepsi brings world-class service to your doorstep with AquaMan, who is a
trained delivery man. He not only delivers Aquafina 25L at your home, but also answers
all queries related to delivery and the complete service solution.
• Cashless payments: Aquafina's Electronic Pre-paid Card, for the first time in India,
allows you to make cashless payments for a month's supply of Aquafina 25 Litre.
• The company provides 1 box free on 3 boxes ordered for 1L bottles
• Banking on Parent Brand, Banners

Production, Distribution and place:

• The most developed market is Tamilnadu followed by Gujrat and Maharashtra.
• Aquafina jars are delivered through vinyl-branded, hygienic trucks displaying contact
details of the electronic call centre for potential consumers. The widely advertised,
high-tech call centre will receive consumer orders, and the state-of-the-art IT system will
ensure prompt response and speedy order turnaround. Each deliveryman will be equipped
with a handheld electronic equipment to record every transaction

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• Plants: 12
• Reaches 1,50,000-2,50,000 retail outlets
• For all the bottles, the company directly approaches the retailers

Distribution Weakness:
• It seems that the Company is not pushing their packaged water brand “Aquafina” and
concentrating on Beverages market.
• Many times their products are not available in the market.

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Natural Mineral Water

Company: TATA Enterprises
Brand: Himalayan Mineral Water

Mount Everest Mineral Water Limited is a public limited company incorporated in 1991. The
Company was promoted by Dr. Dadi Balsara, an NRI from Singapore. It had its first public issue
in 1995. The company’s registered office is located at Himachal Pradesh. The Tata group,
through Tata Tea, have acquired 31.73% holding in the Company partly by purchase of shares
from the investors, who had bought the shares from Dr. Balsara in 2001, and partly by
preferential allotment.
Tata Tea, being the single largest shareholder of the company, and with the management being
firmly with the Tata group, the company is now A TATA Enterprise. The plant is utilized to
bottle natural mineral water under the brand name HIMALAYAN together with inhouse facility
to manufacture food grade PET Bottles and tamper proof caps. The company started its
commercial production in April 1997. The brand HIMALAYAN enjoys an aspirational equity
amongst consumers and has the potential of truly becoming an international and iconic brand, it
is this potential that the new management proposes to unlock through brand building and
enhanced distribution.

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Repositioning of the brand

• The Tata Group enterprise Mount Everest Mineral Water is planning to bring out
rebranded Himalayan natural mineral water across the country after having carried out
brand repositioning in Mumbai.
• The company is also undertaking a holistic 360 degree brand communication campaign to
give its consumers an experience of going back to nature by means of a pristine and
authentic mineral water to reposition the Himalayan brand as part of strategy
• A new bottle shape is designed. Coloured caps are designed. But one thing that is not
changed is the price of the product
• Positioned as a mineral water that not only provides safety and security, but a better
mineral water experience, health and wellness
• The new 'rebranded' mineral water would be available in major cities.
• The company is seeking to tap the mineral water market by creating a brand around
Himalayan with the tag line of 'Live Natural'.
• The company is also planning to enter the lower end segment of the packaged water
business, besides looking at other segments of the beverages market.

MARKETING MIX

Product:
• Himalayan natural mineral water is available in six pack sizes namely 2 ltr, 1.5ltr, 1 ltr,
750 ml, 500 ml, and 200 ml.
• Himalayan natural mineral water’s simple, yet striking bottle design is a creation of
Rediffusion DY&R, and has been actualised by SIPA, Italy
• The water is sourced from a large pristine and protected acquifer which flows well below
the earth’s surface. The water is collected in the catchment area and travels through
rocks, clay and soil, thereby collecting the minerals available therein and then it is
bottled. This process takes over a period of 20 years.The acquifer has a recharge capacity
of 1bn litres every year.

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Quality:
• The company and the product enjoy the certification of various authorities like HACCP,
BIS and ISI in India.
• Himalayan is the only natural mineral water from India, internationally accredited by the
US FDA, the health ministries of Japan and France, the European Union and the Institut
de Fresenius, Germany
Price:
• The 750ml bottles are priced at Rs.25 at multiplexes and Rs.18 at retail markets.
• The competitors it has in India are Evian manufactured by Danone and Perrier by Nestle
but the Himalayan is priced at 1/4th rate of the products so it is the cheapest and most
advertised mineral water available in the country

Trade Promotion:
• The brand is promoted by highlighting the fact that it is untouched and unprocessed, with
a unique taste acquired over 20 years of percolation, as it makes its way to the
underground aquifer located in Himalayas
• The brand mythology is captured eloquently on every bottle of Himalayan natural
mineral water, narrating the story of water crafted with a careless disregard for time —
one that nature has spent years to perfect. This journey personifies the brand and seeks to
make the consumer one with its source — the Himalayas — with its inherent and pristine
goodness that sets it apart from ordinary water
• ‘Live Natural’ aptly captures this brands credo.

Production, Distribution and Place:

• Its plant is at Dhaula Kuan in Sirmour District of Himachal Pradesh.
• Under the previous management the product was sold largely in the Institutional and
foodservices segment.
• The company now proposes to expand its retail distribution network by appointing
consignee and distributors agents in various parts of the country.

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• The new Himalayan natural mineral water is sold at all leading ‘A’ category retail outlets,
modern retail (malls), hypermarts chemists and high-end neighbourhood grocery shops
• The company’s existing clientele includes tie-ups with:
 5 Star Hotels: The Taj, The Oberoi, Marriott, InterContinental
 Airlines: Jet Airways
 Multiplexes: AdlabsEmbassies etc
 Fine-dine restaurants: Zodiac Grill, China Gate, Golden Dragon, Indiana Jones, and
Frangipani among others.

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OBSERVATIONS

• The Indian Bottled Water Industry is a high growth rate Industry and a huge untapped
market
• The water shortage around the world and particularly in third world countries has opened
new avenues for bottled water Industry
• Also increase in the cases of water-borne diseases during monsoons and bad quality
municipal water have led to increase in the consumption of bottled water
• The Indian players should concentrate more on Rural marketing of their products as it is
in Rural Areas that the bottled waters would be most beneficial but it lies untapped
• If we compare the growth and status of Indian Bottled Industry with western or Asian
market, we are far behind in terms of quantum, infrastructure, professionalism &
standards’ implementation
• Multinationals have entered Indian Shores, making rapid strides in Indian Market and
have eroded market share of leaders and small players alike
• The current market leader is Bisleri, but even it has felt a need to continuously innovate
and enter into different segments to keep up its market share
• Tampered seals and pesticides were found in various bottled waters as a result of which
consumers have started preferring mineral water and are ready to pay higher prices for
the same
• Prices and packages of the bottled water brands are almost the same, the distinguishing
points left are Brand name and promotions conducted. But most of the times customers
buy whatever is available on shelf
• Water being considered a free resource, its branding and selling depend highly on the
promotional activities
• Apart from increasing affluence among domestic consumers, exports would provide a
further trigger to the industry. Exports of natural water, particularly to US and Europe,
would drive growth for domestic players
• The existing players are set to expand their distribution network to have their presence
across the country and the players with deep pockets are expected to go for acquisition of
existing small regional players to spread their network across the country.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

www.bottledwaterindia.org

www.india-today.com

www.bisleri.com

www.pfionline.com

www.domain-b.com

www.tamindia.com

www.rediff.com

www.just-drinks.com

www.aquafina.com

www.himalayanmineralwater.com

www.businessline.com

www.coca-cola.com

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