"The total investment will be up to Rs 100 crore in the water business over the next 18 months," Mr PM Sinha, general manager (South Asia business unit), said. The funds will be used to set up 12 plants across the country in two phases of six plants each. Pepsi, which has its existing water facility at Roha in Maharashtra, plans to kick off its first phase of expansion by commissioning the five manufacturing plants by the end of this month. The new five plants would be set up in Bazpur and Kosi in Uttar Pradesh, Sonarpur in West Bengal, Palghat in Kerala, and in Bangalore. Each of the five plants will have a manufacturing capacity of 160 bottles per minute. The company has recently been granted a BIS certification - made mandatory by the government - for its water plant in Roha.

Initially, Pepsi expects its water business to contribute very little to the company's total turnover. However, five years from now, it expects water to account for 10 to 15 per cent. "It'll contribute very little to start with, but water should account for 10-15 per cent of Pepsi's turnover," Mr Sinha said. Pepsi's Aquafina is priced at a slight premium in comparison to the leading mineral water brand Bisleri.