Colourless mineral water has now become a household drink, but black, alkaline bottled water could still be new to India.

Vadodara-based AV Organics has introduced a black, alkaline bottled brand — Evocus H2O.

Claiming the product as India’s first new-age black alkaline water, Aakash Vaghela, founder, AV Organics, said: “It is enriched with 70-plus minerals; the refined minerals are processed without the use of chemicals. The water, therefore, is black in colour. The mineral-rich water helps tide over acidity, helps with detoxification and acts as an immunity booster.”

AV Organics has partnered with a company in the US for sourcing the refined minerals. “This is processed and bottled in India.”

The product, launched in June last year, is availabile across 20 cities in the country.

Vaghela said the company clocked a turnover of ₹1 crore in FY2019-20.

Besides tying up with retail outlets for the distribution of Evocus H2O, AV Organics has partnered with e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart, and is talk with the hospitality sector and healthcare providers.

“We will focus on marketing the water as a health and wellness drink. The FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) has granted us permission to sell Evocus H2O as ‘nutrient water’. The product has a shelf life of 12 months.”

On future plans, Vaghela said: “We expect to be cash positive in 18 months. Going forward, we intend to roll out one new product every year for the next five years; these would be innovative products under the health and wellness category.”

The company recently shipped a load of Evocus H2O to Qatar. “The export potential is huge. We have enquiries from the UAE, South Africa and New Zealand,” Vaghela claimed.