The vice chairperson of Bisleri on setting up their first overseas operations in the UAE, tapping the rural market in India, and going big on carbonated soft drinks
Jayanti Chauhan, vice chairperson of Bisleri
For over five decades, India's largest packaged water company, Bisleri, has remained a household favourite. Recently, the company was in the news for its acquisition deal with Tata Consumer, which eventually didn’t work out. Tata Consumer was expected to buy Bisleri for between Rs6,000 crore and Rs7,000 crore. "It was a mutual decision," Jayanti Chauhan, vice chairperson of Bisleri, tells Forbes India. "It was not that Tata walked out on us or we walked out on them. And I don't know why it has been portrayed as because they walked out, I've come in. I've been looking after the business for 14 years now." Under the supervision of her father, Ramesh Chauhan, who is chairman, Jayanti joined the family business when she was 24.
Recently, Bisleri rebranded its carbonated soft drinks (CSD) and launched three flavours. In 2016, the company relaunched fizzy soft drinks after Coca-Cola bought their entire range of aerated drinks in 1993. It included brands ranging from Thums Up, Limca to Gold Spot and Maaza. This new range of carbonated soft drinks has been launched to build a strong connection with the youth, who constitute 66 percent of India’s total population. The company’s revenue stood at Rs2,300 crore for FY23, and the overall sales growth last year rose to 40 percent. It is three times the pre-pandemic sales, the company claims. Bisleri has a 32 percent share in the organised bottled water segment that includes key players such as Aquafina, Kinley and Bailey.
Now the Mumbai-headquartered company is planning to explore untapped markets—from rural India to international ones. In a conversation with Forbes India, Jayanti talks about setting up their first overseas operations in the UAE, dealing with competition, going big on carbonated soft drinks, and more. Edited excerpts:
Q. What led to the rebranding of Bisleri’s carbonated soft drinks?
In 2016-17, when we re-entered the fizzy drinks space, the older management missed giving importance to certain aspects. And the alignment between all the departments was not as strong as it is today. This time, while bringing it back, we worked with a new team, and we have received an amazing response. Today’s youth are enjoying OTT platforms as they produce interesting and evolving programming. Keeping this in mind, we have launched a new campaign with actors who are currently popular in digital and feature films. They have a strong connection with the youth. The new fizzy drinks portfolio reflects the modern palette of Gen Z, who are looking for the ultimate refreshing taste.