The market is saturated with different soft drink brands in India. Well, why wouldn’t it be? Soft drinks and carbonated drinks like colas and fruity beverages are always welcome in all homes, restaurants, and parties. The soft drink industry booms, especially during the summer season. If you live in India, then you must know about the soaring high temperatures during the summer season. Thus, soft drinks become an even more crucial part of our daily lives.
The variety and flavors that the different soft drink brands in India provide us with are merely astonishing. No matter how bizarre your taste is, there will always be an option for you from the soft drink industry. This soft drink industry has grown to be a huge part of our market and brings a lot of revenue every year. You can find these drinks in multiple flavors and varied price ranges.
The various flavors of soft drinks in India include cola, lime, mango, orange and many more. The delicious fruity flavors of the soft drinks tend to align with our rich agricultural produce. Our country has a massive production of mangoes, oranges and apples, so it is highly likely that we love their taste in beverages too.
Most of our soft drinks contain carbonated water in them along with sweeteners and flavors. However, a small segment of energy /pulpy drinks do not have carbonated water in them. Commonly referred to as cold drinks in India, these carbonated drinks are called ‘fizzy drinks’ or ‘pop’ or ‘soda’ in different parts of the world.
Let’s have a look at some of the best and most commonly available soft drink brands in India.
Summary Table: Best Soft Drinks in India
The following table lists some of the most sought-after soft drink brands in India.
The Best Soft Drink Brands In India
There are more than seventy brands of soft drinks available in India. Companies try to keep their prices at a minimum to give a fair competition to their competitors. However, there are some premium brands as well, that is one of the costly soft drinks available in India. Below is a list of soft drinks brands in India and their prices. Regardless of the financial status, every person living in India must have at least tasted one of these drinks in their lifetime. Here are the 10 best Soft Drink Brands In India –
The prices mentioned in the article are subject to change.
1. Coca-Cola or Coke
Coca-cola was invented by Dr John S Pemberton on 8th May 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia. He started selling coca-cola at a pharmacy nearby (Jacobs’ Pharmacy) for 5 cents per glass owing to the sudden popularity it had gained.
Coca-cola is commonly known as coke in almost every state and is the largest selling cold drink in our country. The company coca-cola has several other brands under their belt as well and captures about 60% of the market in India, whereas coke alone captures around 40% market share. You will find coke in various packaging in your nearby stores such as plastic bottles, cans, glass bottles, etc. Coca-Cola is one of the best soft drink brands in India.
Product Features
- 100% recyclable packaging
- Refreshing, original cola taste.
2. Pepsi
Did you know that Pepsi was first known as Brad’s drink? It was changed to Pepsi Cola and then finally Pepsi. This brand is hugely popular among Indians and is only second to coke when it comes to market shares. Pepsi is considered as one of the best soft drink brands in India. Pepsi gives a tough competition to coke in the Indian market. Worldwide, there is always a Team Coke and Team Pepsi when it comes to choosing their favorite cola brand. They capture around 30.8% of the market share. Pepsi is sold worldwide; however, it came back to India in 1990 and has been popular ever since.
Product Features
- This is a cola-flavored beverage.
- It tastes best ice cold.
3. Sprite
Sprite is a soft drink brand from the coca-cola company and is very popular in the Indian market. It was founded in India in 1999. It surpassed Pepsi in 2009 and became the second most consumed soft drink in India. The green colour packaging and unique flavour make it one of our favourite cold drinks. Altogether, it is the most famous lime drink in our country and definitely worthy of making to the list of soft drink brands in India.
Product Features
- This is a lemon-flavored soft drink.
- The volume is 600 ml.
4. Thums Up
“Thums Up – Taste the thunder” and “Aaj Kuchh Toofani Kartey Hain” are the two tagline we associate with this brand. It is one of the first three local soft drink brands in India. Thums Up came to be in 1977 after the exit of coca-cola from the Indian market and quickly gained popularity. But later on, coke bought the company to fight off their rivals Pepsi. It is still a widely popular carbonated fizzy drink in all parts of the country. This company is among the best soft drinks in India and has a huge consumer base. Our youth is fond of this drink for its strong fizzy taste.
Product Features-
- This is a set of eight individual bottles.
- Per 100 ml, it offers 42 Kcal.
5. Fanta
Fanta replaced our first local soft drink brand gold spot. Amazingly, Fanta was launched during world war II in Germany. The name Fanta came from the German word “Fantasie”. It had the same orange color and flavor. Due to this, it became a massive hit in the market back then and continues till this day. Fanta is one of the most famous orange fizzy drinks in our country. They sell their products in various packaging such as cans, bottles, glass bottles etc.
Product Features-
- This is an orange-flavored beverage.
- It comes in a 300 ml can.
6. Maaza
We recognize mango as the king of fruits and is also the national fruit of our country. Our love for mangoes made Maaza one of the bestselling mango flavored drinks in the nation. This company was acquired by coca-cola in 1993 and is now available in all parts of the world. Maaza accounts for around 90% of the fruit juice market in the country and also has the highest market shares in the same. Their competitors include brands like slice and Frooti.
Product Features-
- This holds 1.2 L of the beverage.
- It is mango-flavored.
- This is prepared with hand-picked Alphonso mangoes.
7. 7Up
7Up is a widely popular lemon and lime flavored drink in India and is only second to sprite in terms of sales. This company is owned by PepsiCo and Dr. Pepper Snapple group. They also have a popular product named Nimbooz in India.
Product Features-
- This is a set of six cans.
- Each can holds 250 ml of the beverage.
- This is a lemon-flavored soft drink.
8. Mirinda
Mirinda is a very famous alternative to coca cola’s brand Fanta in the country. No wonder it is owned by PepsiCo, the rival company to coca-cola. The competition among these two giants continues to bring new and amazing varieties of soft drinks. This brand was initially founded in Spain with multiple flavors to increase market shares.
Product Features-
- This is an orange-flavored beverage with added flavor.
- This is sweet, tangy, fizzy, and refreshing.
9. Limca
Limca is another popular product from the coca-cola company and is among the best lemon and carbonated lime drinks in the country. But it was created Parle Agro in 1971. Limca is one of the very first local soft drinks in India.
Product Features-
- This soft drink provides energy and refreshes the mind.
- It holds 750 ml.
- This is lemon-flavored.
10. Mountain Dew
Since its invention in 1940 by ally Hartman and Barney, it became a trendy choice in the soft drink industry. But later on, PepsiCo acquired the brand and started further distributions in India. They quickly became a top choice among people through cheesy advertisements and good marketing techniques. There also exist various varieties and flavors among this brand such as mountain dew red and cherry mountain dew. Mountain dew is considered to be one of the most popular soft drink brands in India.
Product Features-
- This soft drink is a blend of citrusy flavors and sweetness.
- It is fizzy and refreshing.
Soft Drinks And Health Issues
Soft drinks all over the world have a bad reputation when it comes to its effects on our health. Ingredients like artificial sweeteners and carbonated water are not good for our health. With the rising awareness in the world about the large amount of sugar used to make a soft drink, the companies have launched ‘diet’ and sugar free versions. Excess consumption of these sugar filled drinks can lead to weight gain also.
Most soft drinks are caffeinated too which give an energy boost and a sudden sugar rush. However, in comparison to your regular coffee, these drinks have fewer contents of caffeine. Too much intake of caffeine can make you dizzy and nauseous, which can be bad for your health.
In addition to that, there are other options as well in the form of energy drinks. These can replenish your stamina in sports or professional dance performances like Gatorade or as a party starter (red bull).
How Massive Is The Soft Drink Industry In India?
India is the second-largest country, population-wise, providing a vast consumer market. Naturally, companies would like to invest here to meet public demands and create a massive supply chain. This industry is ever-growing with more and more revenue every year. Presently our soft drink industry in India generates revenue of 4,704 million USD and is expected to grow 7.9% by the year 2023. This industry includes carbonated soft drinks in India as well as non-carbonated drinks such as fruit juices, flavoured water, fruit nectar and many more.
We have one of the largest consumption of non-alcoholic beverages that paves the way towards the growth of this industry. Several brands have cemented their place in the market by using several marketing strategies such as gripping advertisements and branding. They provide local retailers with soft drink vending machines at fair prices that also helps their brand to grow. Companies are testing out new drinks every year to increase consumer demand.
The foreign soft drink MNC giants have around 70-75% market share in India, whereas our local brands have about 10-15% market share. With massive demands, new companies are investing in this industry every year. The rising health awareness in people has also increased the consumption of drinks like juices every day.
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