Thums Up, Maaza to go global as Coca Cola bets on 'Indian' flavours

Coca Cola is also being very 'open-minded' about two other India-created flavours, Maaza Aam Panna and Fanta Apple Delite

Coca Cola may soon take two of its India-made brands, Thums Up and Maaza, to the global markets, a report by the Economic Times (ET) said, quoting the company's president for international development, Henrique Braun. Thums Up recently crossed $1 billion in sales in India, and Maaza is expected to achieve the milestone by 2024. 

 

"What we are doing on global platforms is looking at possibilities to import or export brands to the rest of the world," Braun told ET. He added that the company is being very "open-minded" about two other India-created flavours, Maaza Aam Panna and Fanta Apple Delite and an idea that can "fly" in India can work in foreign markets as well.  

 

"So the point is, we are looking at opportunities to leverage brands to markets with different innovation and flavours," he added. 

 

Braun further said that the Centre's investment in infrastructure and digital platforms had improved the business environment in the country. Braun took over the charge in January. He heads the company's operations in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Eurasia, Africa and Latin America.

 

"What the government has been doing in terms of investing in infrastructure and also bringing up an open network on digital platforms, all put together is a very good environment for growth...You can get ahead of the game when the momentum continues to be good for investment," he said. 

 

For Coca-Cola, India is among the top three of its global markets. In the second quarter of the current financial year, the company reported 2.5 billion transactions. Driven by the sales growth in India, the company registered a 9 per cent growth in the Asia-Pacific region.

 

In November, the company said it was planning to invest more in marketing in the second half of FY23 to drive up sales in India. The bottling capacity has been raised by 30-40 per cent and is expected to be completed by March this year.