Coca-Cola commits expanding product portfolio

New Delhi, Aug 17 (UNI) Amidst adverse publicity around pesticides, ground water depletion and health concerns around its core brands, Coca-Cola India today unveiled its new logo ''Little Drops of Joy'' and said it is planning to expand its portfolio and is exploring wide variety of beverage opportunities like energy, sports drinks, flavoured water and juices.

In addition, world's largest beverage company plans to set up a retail university in the country to provide retailers with the right techniques, tools and knowledge to operate in the new retail environment and a Coca-Cola university for employees, bottlers and key customers.

The India-focused corporate campaign -- Drops of Joy -- is due for release by September-end.

''We are exploring opportunities to further expand our portfolio.

This includes launching new beverage solutions in a wide variety of categories ranging from energy drinks, sports drinks, flavoured water and juices,'' company's Vice President Marketing Venkatesh Kini told reporters here.

The company has launched Cadbury Schweppes Water and Minute Maid, pulpy orange juice, and will soon launch Bonaqua, its second bottled water brand after Kinley in India.

''We are offering several more options to the consumer besides cola,'' Mr Kini said.

''Coca-Cola in India aims to reach zero water balance by 2009, provide drinking water solutions in 1,000 schools by 2010 and will commission study on 10 watersheds by 2009,'' President and CEO Atul Singh said.

The company is also setting up an equipment testing facility at Hyderabad which will test and certify coolers to ensure that they confirm to the company's stringent quality standards. The facility will test coolers from India and also from the Asia Pacific region.

With 1.2 billion dollar investment already made in India by the company, Coca-Cola India will pump 250 million dollars over the next three years to create bottling capacities for new product offerings, executing marketing strategies and to ensure value creation for all its business partners.

In India, unit case volume increased 12 per cent in the second quarter of 2007, cycling a decline of 12 per cent in the same quarter of the previous year.

Earlier announcing the company's five-pillar growth strategy, Mr Singh said the strategy focuses on portfolio, people, planet, partners and performance.

Advertising guru and Executive Chairman McCann-Erickson Prasoon Joshi said, ''Little Drops of Joy reaffirms what Coca-Cola in India has always stood for -- being part of little moments of joy in the daily lives of consumers.'' UNI DKS MP VV1726