Packaged water manufacturer Bisleri International has launched a new plant in the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka. A spokesperson for the company said that the new facility features a production capacity of 60 lakh bottles per month and has been established under an agreement with the local firm Chittagong Fashion.
The company announced its plans to open a production unit overseas in November 2013. Bisleri is considered among top three packaged water brands in the Indian market. The brand competes with Kinley of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo’s Aquafina. The segment also has a few new brands, including Himalayan from NourishCo – which is a joint venture between PepsiCo and Tata Global Beverages – as well as Qua from Danone Narang Beverages.
The carbonated drinks market in India is estimated to be at Rs. 14,000 crore, while the organised water segment is close to Rs. 3,000 crore. Meanwhile, the water industry in the country is flooded with regional water brands which operate on very low margins and sell their products at cheaper rates than established companies.
Executives from Bisleri say that its core brand has been growing at 26% every year. The aerated drinks business was sold off by Chauhan for an estimated Rs. 180 crore to Coca-Cola, when the American company re-entered the country in 1993.
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