Share of soft drinks in India 2016, by brand

Maaza recorded the highest share among soft drink brands in India in 2016 in terms of sales. Bisleri, the bottled water seller placed second that year. With a market share of nearly 30 percent, Maaza proved that the country’s soft drinks market goes beyond carbonated beverages.  

Using mango to sell beverages

Maaza, owned by Coca-Cola is a mango fruit drink. India was the largest producer of mangoes in the world. Furthermore, between the months of March and July, Indians feast on mango harvests and their many varieties. Maaza claims to contain the Alphonso mango, which is considered one of the best varieties of the fruit and commonly called the king of mangoes. There are other kinds of Maaza available now, containing different fruits, expanded across Asia, the Middle East, Africa and eastern Europe.

Maaza’s competitors

Slice, owned by PepsiCo and Frooti under the Parle Agro flagship were the counterparts of Maaza. Slice was a discontinued brand under Pepsi in the United States. Now, it sells mango juice in India. In 2018, it was rebranded as a “fruit juice drink with fizz”. Frooti, on the other hand, was “fresh and juicy” and advertised by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan. While all three mango beverages vary only slightly in taste, the true test was always the marketing mix and its success in boosting sales. Back in 2014, Prime Minister Modi is said to have helped boost horticulture sales for farmers by urging beverage companies to add fruit into their products.