Bisleri, Tata to tap into foreign market

Mumbai: After dominating the Indian mass packaged drinking water market with a 60 per cent share, Bisleri is all set to make a splash abroad.

In the next few months, it will start exporting Bisleri Mountain Water to take on the likes of French brand Evian in the premium packaged drinking water space.

“Now that we have launched Bisleri in a new hexagonal bottle, it is getting a lot of appreciation. We’ll soon be launching it in Europe and America in 2-3 months time,” says Chairman, Bisleri International, Ramesh Chauhan.

Chauhan says Bisleri is aiming for at least $ 3 - 4 million of sales in the first year.

However, Bisleri isn't eyeing the lucrative foreign market alone. The Tatas, too, want to go abroad with the revamped Himalayan mountain water brand.

The company plans to introduce new products like flavoured and sparkling water, both in the domestic and the international markets.

“We would be looking at the entire consumer pyramid which straddles every kind of product offering, but that has to be on the plank of wellness. So that's the platform we are creating,” CEO, Mount Everest Mineral Water, Pradeep Poddar says.

Bisleri, too, plans to launch its own brand of flavoured water by the end of the year.

And certainly, for the Indian companies that have so far been restricted to India's $ 500-million market, quenching the thirst of billions of more customers makes great business sense.

(With Nachiket Kelkar)

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