Tea:
Tea is
popular with the masses for its effect on the medulla oblongata, leading
to an artificial alertness brought about by its inherent chemicals,
namely caffeine, tannins, 10 to 20 per cent galotanic acid, bauhic acid,
some proteins and ash. Tea in most traditional marketing systems was
promoted in its powder form, via bulk, mixed-flavored tea boxes and
dipping sachets (pouches), but all used in their warm form.
Flavored
teas with base tastes of peach, lemon or mint now cater to iced tea
buffs. The market for pre-mixed herbal and spice teas (popular in the
oriental regions) is still completely unexplored in India, with flavors
such as mint, thyme, spearmint, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, lime, lemongrass,
vanilla and clove having a great potential in regions such as Gujarat,
Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.
Bottled
teas are not yet available off the stand due to the low percentage of
sugar bricks (7-8 per cent), making it highly perishable. On the other
hand, carbonated drinks have 12 per cent sugar bricks and CO2 as inherent
preservatives, besides added acids.
However,
the essentials of bottled teas would be one without milk and flavored
with lemon/lime, herbs such as parsley, sage, celery, spearmint (pudina)
and spices such as clove, cinnamon, cardamom or ginger. This industry
is still in its infancy and it is very difficult to predict its potential
growth rate. But given the number of tea lovers in India, bottled teas
will do well and throws a challenge to creative favorites to work in
sync with the marketing team and technocrats. The market size of the
entire tea industry is highly varied according to the form the tea is
dispensed in.
Coffee:
Coffee
is a beverage generally preferred in south India. Again generally dispensed
as a hot beverage, coffee can be of several kinds, like filter coffee,
instant coffee (such as Nescafe/Bru), cappuccino and the recently emerged
international brands of mochas and flavored/blended coffees (cinnamon/
Irish coffee), served in both hot and cold forms. Pouches of instant
coffee (dip-and-use) have also found their way onto the stands.
Coffee
holds the largest market share in the international beverage industry.
The coffee market in India has witnessed a sudden increase, with café
bars and bistros hitting the tea-dominated market scene. The size of
the coffee industry is also highly variable depending on the form it
is dispensed in; besides, it is highly variable between seasons and
regions of the country. But there seems to be an incremental rise in
coffee sales, at least in the metros. One could expect a rise in consumption
to the scale of about 15-20 per cent per annum.
Non-aerated
beverages:
The most
diverse and widespread beverages in India are the non-aerated ones,
called ‘still drinks’ due to the lack of fizz. Promoted in varied formats,
flavors, packaging and increased shelf lives, ‘still drinks’ are the
mainstay of the beverage industry. The market is worth approximately
Rs 3,500 crore, and is increasing by two or three folds every year.
Future for still drinks is definitely good though it is characterized
by the deficiency of lack of variety, requiring innovations in flavors,
ease of preparation and comfort of carrying.
Bottled
water:
Water
is not exactly classified as a beverage. However, due to the ease of
procuring and the requirement of health, plain and simple drinking water
is getting bottled under the label of mineral water. The government
has recently made it mandatory for bottled water to have the safety
mark – ISI. Bottling water is a high-investment and high-performance
industry requiring well-equipped laboratories that costs a minimum of
Rs 15 lakhs to Rs 18 lakhs, besides the costs for qualified personnel
like microbiologists and related infrastructure.
Sold at
approximately 20-30 per cent price of carbonated beverages, mineral
or flavored water is turning out to be one of the leading businesses
due to its ‘zero calorie’ nature. The new players are hitting the market
with 'flavored' mineral waters and sport drinks, that is mineral water
with glucose or Vitamin C and some suitably attractive flavor and colour.
The market size is around Rs 1,500 crore with a 40 per cent growth rate.
Pulp/fruit
juices and squash:
Usually
confused and considered synonymous with non-aerated drinks, fruit pulps,
juices and squash are high-sugar beverages, which are centrifuged and
filtered to give a semi-clear appearance.
With a
considerable growth in fruit cultivation in the mid-90s, perishable
fruits are now being processed and new techniques of preservation are
evolving, giving a boost to the beverage industry. Technology similar
to milk processing is being used for concentration of juice, involving
the removal of free water at low temperatures and increasing the sugar
and acid percentage for better preservation, flavoring, appearance and
reduction in volume for transportation. The methods used are thin-film
evaporation with rotary evaporators, and high-vacuum falling-film or
spinning-band distillation. Two-phase separators, i.e. bowl centrifuge,
are used.
