PepsiCo charts aggressive plans to increase its sale in India

Mumbai, Nov 9 (UNI) Even after three years since PepsiCo was caught in the pesticide controversy by a Delhi-based NGO, Centre for Science and Environment, it is worried over the problem of low consumption of the beverage in the country and has chalked out an awareness campaign in this regard.

Talking to UNI during his visit to the Mahul bottling plant of the company here today Executive Director (Exports and External Affairs) of the company Abhiram Seth said ''We are working on an aggressive plan to increase the sale of our products.'' Though counterfeit of its products has caused loss to certain extent to our company, we are more worried about the sudden rise in the sale of spurious soft drinks in the country which must be contained, he said.

Keeping it in view, the company has chalked out a host of plans to create awareness about its products and to attract more and more consumers to its fold. First of all, the company has shifted its focus from manufacturing carbonated products to non-carbonated ones.

The growth of non-carbonated beverages in the country was almost double to that of carbonated ones, he said. Apart from it, the company is spending a huge sum of amount on advertising campaigns through print and electronic media, he added.

The company has lined up several plans of introducing its products in new colours and with new flavours in its bid for expanding range of products, he said. Unfazed over the competition being posed by other juce-making companies like Real to its Tropicana products, Mr Seth said ''I personally believe that market grows in a competitive environment.'' Moreover, he informed that a feasibility for the company's forthcoming water project in Aurangabad district was going on.

PepsiCo's current exports from India to other parts of the world is USD 60 million and still it was growing. The company has invested a sum of USD 1.5 million to co-operatively develop a comprehensive agro technology programme in partnership with Punjab government to help farmers improve the quality of their yield, he said. That is why the farmers of the region are now able to grow fruits like red-blood malta (which have become extinct in other parts of the country), he added.

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