Coca-Cola upbeat on India market

Our Bureau Updated - November 23, 2017 at 10:31 PM.

Coca-Cola India expects to be back on the double-digit growth track in the coming quarters. “Our aspiration is to get back on double-digit growth,” Venkatesh Kini, Deputy President, Coca-Cola India & South West Asia, said here on Sunday. He was speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the FIFA World Cup Trophy tour of the city.

He said the company posted per cent growth in the third quarter of 2013, against 1 per cent in the April-June quarter.

“We had 29 consecutive quarter of growth. Out of the total, 19 quarters witnessed double-digit growth. We gained volume and value share in India in these quarters in total non-alcohol ready-to-drink beverages as well as in both sparkling and still beverages,” Kini added.

Reiterating the company’s $5-billion investment plan in India between 2012 and 2020, Kini said Coca-Cola has been banking on the rural market.

It also plans to introduce new product lines for the largely untapped rural India. Kini added that trials for some dairy and energy-based products are already on. “We are already offering affordable price points to consumers like the 200 ml Coca-Cola glass bottle at Rs 8,” he said.

> ayan.pramanik@thehindu.co.in

Published on December 22, 2013 15:56