'Our aim is to offer a better mineral water experience'

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not any water, but natural mineral water. The bottled water business in India is skewed towards the packaged water segment, which makes up 90% of the category. Natural mineral water does not exist in a substantive way in the country. So does functional, flavoured and enhanced water. The bottled water business is worth Rs 1,600 crore and has been growing at 25% year-on-year for the last decade. That’s a high rate of growth if you ask me. Not many product categories are growing at that rate in the country. But it has been skewed towards products that play on the aspect of safety and security.

The leader Bisleri, for instance, has a market share of 16%, followed by Kinley and Aquafina at 14%. The balance 60% of the market consists of myriad regional brands, which straddle different price points. Our product, however, endeavours to upgrade the consumer to a preferred choice of water. It is not only about safety and security, but a better mineral water experience, about health and wellness if you ask me.

Who do you view as competition then?

Evian is a competitor. But it has outpriced itself in the Indian marketplace making it a niche product. We are available at one-fourth the price of Evian, but our aim is to be as international as Evian is. And why should it not be? We too boast of a water source that is pristine and pure. The natural mineral water space has been dominated by water from the Alps, harnessed by companies such as Danone, which sells Evian, and Nestle, which has products such as Perrier among others.

In a sense, we are showcasing what is available in nature’s glory out of India. The profile of the water from the Himalayas matches the best in the world. It has a total dissolved solids concentration of 350 milligrams per litre with a delicate balance of organic minerals. So why should we not pitch it against the best in the world?

How do you plan to distribute the product internationally?

We will leverage our larger beverage presence in markets such as the US, Western Europe and the Middle East. Here we have Tetley, Eight ‘O Clock Coffee, etc. We could use the existing infrastructure to pitch fork our products in these markets.

What is the kind of investment going into these initiatives?