NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES SECTOR IN INDIA: CONSTRAINTS AND PROSPECTS

Project Leader: Dr. Arpita Mukherjee
Research Team: Ranjan Kumar Dash, Divya Satija and Debolina Mukherjee
Commencement:  June 2012
Completion:  February 2013
Funded by: Indian Beverage Association

The non-alcoholic beverages sector includes a wide variety of drinks ranging from packaged drinking water, carbonated soft drinks to energy drinks and sports drinks. This is a labour-intensive sector with strong backward and forward linkages. The objective of the study is to: (i) analyse the contribution of this industry to GDP, exports, investment and employment generation; and (ii) identify the key growth drivers and estimate the future growth projections. The study will provide a detailed analysis of the barriers faced by this sector and make policy recommendations for the Government of India. Since a number of regulations related to this sector are evolving, the study will examine the global best practices and suggest how India can learn from the experiences of other countries in devising a regulatory framework. The study will be based on secondary data and a primary survey of approximately 500 stakeholders including manufacturers, distributors, logistics companies, wholesalers, retailers and policymakers. The study would also provide some inputs into policy making on how to reduce agricultural wastage and develop India as a sourcing hub for non-alcoholic beverages.