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Bisleri International Ltd plans to launch flavoured water to ramp up its product portfolio.
Flavoured water usually does not contain preservatives and acids as is the case with aerated drinks.
Ayurvedic additives such as tulsi are sometimes used to bring out the taste.
“We are looking at product diversification in the bottled water segment, mainly through associated offerings. Plans are likely to be firmed up by the end of this year,” Jayanti R Chauhan, Director, Bisleri International, told Business Line in a telephonic interaction.
According to Chauhan, facial mist or face freshening sprays is another segment that is being explored. It will be categorised as a personal hygiene offering. The product will look at “exploiting the existing gaps” in the segment. Personal hygiene products available in the markets include facial scrubs, hand sanitisers and similar products.
She, however, refused to divulge details about new products or their expected time of launch.
If launched, the flavoured water will compete with DS Group’s Catch Clear Flavoured Spring Water, Danone-Narang Beverages’ B’lue and Tata Global Beverages two offerings – a nutrient water called water plus and the glucose-based variant called gluco plus.
Market sources said that consumers are going for “healthier counterparts” such as fruit juices, flavoured water (green apple, cranberry, citrus and watermelon) and energy drinks over carbonated or aerated drinks.
According to an FMCG analyst, worldwide consumer preference is skewed towards “functional drinks” rather than carbonated ones.
Healthier Alternative
“Demand for flavour-based drinks is set to rise over the years with urban working population and young adults increasingly becoming health conscious,” he added.
Modern retail is another factor driving growth in this (flavoured water) segment. Bisleri’s standalone stores Bisleri Shoppe could be leveraged to sell the product once they launch it, the analyst said.
Bisleri, which has 100 Shoppes in Bangalore and Mumbai at present, plans to set up nearly 300 more this year in different cities.
Flavoured water is more expensive than carbonated drinks.
While 500-ml pet bottle of flavoured water costs around Rs 30, one can take home a 600-ml bottle carbonated drink at a similar price.
Bisleri enjoys around 65 per cent market share in the nearly Rs 5,000-crore bottled water segment (commonly called mineral water).
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