Desi lassi outscores exotic drinks in international competition

Chandigarh, Jul 15 (UNI) Punjab's household drink 'lassi' outscored fancy coffees-lattes and cappuccino and exotic wines in a competition in France in which students from all over the world were invited to give marketing presentation of beverages famous in their countries.

City's 20-year-old Taman Raj Singh, a commerce student of SD College-32, chose the traditional Punjabi drink to represent the country at the ''Know Europe-2008'' entrepreneurship programme, organised under the aegis of Normandy Business School of France, and bagged first prize in the competition.

Taman, who had participated in the competition under a student exchange programme, in his presentation presented the lassi's unique qualities-a mix of simplicity, flavour and health.

Since the target market was Paris, Taman, along with his five-member team of foreign students, went to all restaurants and big hotels of the city to promote their respective drinks.

''It was not very difficult to convince people that lassi, a simple mixture of yogurt and water, was a healthy drink, a drink that could be consumed by people of all ages, infants and patients, without hitch. And what's more, it can be had sweet, salt, spicy or even plain,'' said Taman.

Besides France this entrepreneurship programme was also conducted at Brussels by Hogeschool University, at the Netherlands by Inholland University and at Spain by the University of Politecnica Catalunya.

UNI XC PS RJ ND2005