Another masterstroke by Mukesh Ambani, set to give tough competition to Coca-Cola, Pepsi, will invest Rs 8000 crore in...

In a bold move to capture India’s growing soft drink market, Reliance Consumer Products (RCPL), owned by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, is set to invest around Rs 8,000 crore over the next 12 to 15 months. According to a report by The Economic Times, this is RCPL’s biggest investment so far, aimed at significantly boosting its beverage production and market presence. The investment will focus on increasing the manufacturing capacity for Campa and other beverages in its portfolio. RCPL plans to set up 10 to 12 new greenfield and co-packing facilities across India. This expansion is part of Reliance’s strategy to take on global beverage giants like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, as well as several strong regional brands that dominate local markets.

RCPL, a subsidiary of Reliance Retail Ventures launched in 2022, is rapidly making its presence felt in the highly competitive drinks segment. "The capex is being done on a combined investment of Rs 6,000-8,000 crore by Reliance and some of its partners," said a company executive quoted by The Economic Times.

Recently, Reliance set up a new beverage plant in Guwahati through a partnership with local company Jericho Foods and Beverages LLP. This unit will serve the Northeast region by producing soft drinks and bottled water. Another production plant is also being built in Bihar.

Reliance’s beverage line-up includes iconic brands like Campa Cola, Campa Orange, and Campa Lemon, along with Sosyo soft drinks, Spinner sports drink, Sun Crush juice, fruit hydration brand RasKik, and Independence bottled water.

In an interesting partnership, RCPL has teamed up with former Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan to develop and promote "Spinner", a sports drink priced at just Rs 10 for 250 ml—significantly cheaper than competitors like PepsiCo’s Gatorade and Sting.

Currently, RCPL’s beverage products are manufactured at 18 different facilities across India, in collaboration with various investment partners.

With this aggressive expansion and investment plan, Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance is positioning itself as a serious challenger in India’s Rs 60,000+ crore soft drink industry.