Coca Cola Enters Two New Categories Of Health Drinks
India’s largest beverage maker Coca-Cola India announced its entry into new categories of enhanced hydration and nutritious dilutables with the launch of Aquarius Glucocharge and Minute Maid Vitingo in a bid to become more relevant as a total beverage player.
“We realised getting people rehydrated in this heat is very important. Water is often not enough. We launched these drinks keeping Indian summers in mind. These drinks are a combination of glucose, salt and fruits,” said Coca-Cola India President T Krishnakumar, fondly called KK by his colleagues and friends, to BW Businesworld.
The company has been working on enhancing its fruit based portfolio for quite some time. It’s in fact also banking on local products to connect with the Indian consumers.
Aquarius Glucocharge, packed with Glucose, essential minerals (potassium, sodium, calcium), and fruit juice has been developed exclusively for Indian consumers who toil in the heat and need instant rehydration to overcome exhaustion. This non-carbonated, low sugar beverage with fruit juice is priced at an value of RS 10 for a 200ml serving. Minute Maid Vitingo is a specially formulated product to address micronutrient deficiency and malnutrition in India. The formulation is fortified with Iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Zinc, Folic Acid, Vitamin B2, and Vitamin B12. It comes in single serving sachets of 18gm priced at Rs 5.
At the moment, the company is present in three categories - sparkling beverages, juices and juice-based drinks, is water. “We are planning to focus on fruits and fruit-based products because we believe we should create something for the community we operate in,” said KK.
Coca Cola already has a sustainability programme called Project Mango Unnati that promotes good science and technology like ultra high density plantation and micro irrigation system for enhanced produce, which in turn helps supply Maaza. The company is also looking to create a virtuous circular economy of sustainable agriculture [horticulture] by using a variety of Indian fruits in its beverages under the juice and aerated drinks categories.
This is also in line with what Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in September 2014, urging cola makers to mix natural fruit juices in aerated beverages.
In June last year, Coca Cola also launched Minute Maid Pulpy Mosambi. It has already started processing Indian oranges and adding orange juice in Fanta.
