New Delhi: Varun Beverages Limited (VBL), long known for its status as Pepsico’s largest bottler outside the US, is now actively looking to break out of that mould. The company has partnered with Japan’s Asahi Group Holdings to launch Calpis, an iconic dairy-based beverage brand, to Indian customers. This would be the first time Varun Beverages moves beyond the Pepsico fold, as it aims to use its unparalleled retail distribution might to launch a non-Pepsico beverage across the country.
“We are honored to partner with Asahi Group, one of the world’s leading beverage companies, renowned for its iconic brands and deep understanding of consumer preferences across markets. CALPIS is a brand with over a hundred years of heritage and consumer trust, and we are excited to introduce it to India. This is a category we are committed to building at Varun Beverages and one in which we see significant long-term potential. By combining Asahi’s global expertise with Varun Beverages’ manufacturing strength and extensive distribution network, we look forward to establishing CALPIS as one of the leading brands for Indian consumers,” Varun Jaipuria, Executive Vice Chairman at Varun Beverages Limited, said in a press release.
“We are delighted to introduce the CALPIS brand, which has been enjoyed in Japan for more than a century, to consumers in India. India is one of the world’s most dynamic and promising beverage markets, and we are pleased to partner with Varun Beverages, a leading beverage company with strong manufacturing capabilities and extensive market reach. We are confident that by bringing together the strengths of Asahi Group and Varun Beverages, we can create new value in the Indian market and contribute to the sustainable growth and enhancement of corporate value for both companies.” Atsushi Katsuki, President and Group CEO at Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd., added.
Earlier this month, VBL updated its agreement with Pepsico, which has legally allowed it to move beyond the company’s products as it looks to independently become an FMCG player in its own right.
In December last year, the company bought South Africa-based beverage company Twizza as it aims chart its own course in the beverage segment with its operations in Southern Africa.
