Bottled Mineral Water Industry

Bottled Mineral Water Industry Drinking water is the most important need of life. The drinking-water needs for human beings vary according to the climatic conditions, body structure. For an average consumer, the body needs around 2 to 4 liters of water every day. The increasing number of cases of water borne diseases, water pollution, urbanization, shortage of pure and safe water etc. has added to the phenomenal growth of the industry. Unavailability or shortage of drinking water at public places has also added to the growth of the bottled mineral water industry. https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ-hMDAxvtyGgM9RYPtFwODPCj7vnFqzHgt-4ToWgRUursv0QPQ OVERVIEW OF THE INDUSTRY In India, more than 100 companies manufacture and sell about 450 million liters of packaged drinking water worth Rs. 250 crores annually. The tradition of packaged drinking water started decades back. In the West, the trend of packaged water started in 1950s. Thus the trend of mineral water consumption flourished in the market. Depending on various factors like the temperature, the location, the altitude, and the climatic conditions, water can be used to cure various ailments. This started the trend of manufacturing mineral water for drinking purposes to utilize this property of the liquid. The trend gained momentum in 1970s and since then large quantities of packaged water from mineral springs were used in the European nations. Bottled mineral water has been prevalent in western countries due to presence of higher health conscious people and higher awareness of sanitation. People preferred to drink boiled water or filtered purified water to prevent them from contracting any water borne diseases or ailments. In India, exposure to western and European life styles and culture, poor levels and quality of drinking water, increasing number of cases of water borne diseases, increasing awareness about health and hygiene and other related factors led to consumption of mineral water. The market has not looked back ever since then and has grown significantly to a great extent. VARIOUS BRANDS IN THE INDUSTRY BISLERI COMPANY: Parle Bisleri Pvt. Ltd. COMPANY BACKGROUND: Parle Bisleri Pvt. Ltd is the biggest player in packaged drinking water business in India. The company sold off the Thumps Up and Gold Spot brands to Coca-Cola India in the early 1990s. Since then, the company has focused only on packaged bottled water in India. The company changed its slogan to â€Å"Play Safe† from â€Å"Pure and Safe†, since many small competitors tried to emulate the look of the company’s brands. Parle Bisleri Pvt. ltd. is credited with building the use of bulk packaged mineral water in India through the introduction of 20-litre jar packaging. The company developed consumer-friendly packaging for the 20-litre jars by adding threaded fittings and valve caps, as opposed to other brands that feature snap-on fittings. These innovations facilitated easier flow of water from the jar pack. HISTO RY OF THE BRAND: BISLERI originated in Italy and the brand owes its name to its founder MR.FELICE BISLERI. In 1967, BISLERI set up its plant in Bombay for bottling and marketing actual mineral water, which was not so fruitful initiative. By 1969, BISLERI wanted to shut down its business and to help Mr. Bisleri out, Mr. Chauhan bought the company, with an intention to turn it into a soda/soft drinks brand. Since then it has not looked back and has come a long way. Now, it owns a significantly high percentage of shares in the Indian market and also has spread widely on the International front.