News from 

Coca-Cola to invest $5 bln in India

By: Simon Percival

(beveragemanager.net) - Coca-Cola system will invest an additional US$3 billion in India through 2020 to further capture growth opportunities in the country's fast-growing nonalcoholic ready-to-drink (NARTD) beverage market.

With the new $3 billion investment, the Coca-Cola system now plans to invest $5 billion in India from 2012 to 2020.

NARTD beverages have enormous growth potential in India. Coca-Cola India has registered unit case volume growth in India for the past 23 quarters, 17 of which have seen double-digit growth.

Two of the Company's core sparkling brands - Thums Up and Sprite - are the country's top selling soft drink brands while brand Coca-Cola is one of the country's fastest growing sparkling brands, most recently reporting 27 percent growth in the first quarter. In the still beverage category, Coca-Cola's Maaza is India's largest selling juice drink.

Coca-Cola and its bottling partners will invest $30 bln globally in five years on new plants and sales networks, CEO Muhtar Kent said at a press conference in New Delhi yesterday. (bmg)