Making a splash: How Bisleri became synonymous with water in India

Veteran industrialist Ramesh Chauhan on Thursday announced that he is scouting for a buyer for Bisleri International and is in talks with several players, including Tata Consumer Products Ltd (TCPL).

Earlier in the day, there were reports doing the rounds that Tata was set to buy Bisleri for an estimated cost of Rs 6,000-7,000 crore.

Over the last 50 years, Bisleri came to India, expanded its business, grew bigger and became synonymous with water in a country where selling water was termed nothing less than madness.

Here's a timeline of the success story of Bisleri:

1851: Where it all started?

Bisleri was founded by an Italian businessman, inventor and chemist Signor Felice Bisleri on November 20, 1851, in Verolanuova. When it was first developed, Bisleri was an alcohol remedy drink containing cinchona, herbs and iron salts. After the death of Signor Felice in 1921, his family doctor, Dr Rossi, took over the company.

1965: Entering the Indian market

Dr Rossi and his friend Khushroo Suntook played a vital role in making Bisleri a success in India. Rossi came up with the idea to sell water in the country. Even though water was available in abundance, there was a scarcity of clean drinking water.

In 1965, Rossi set up the first Bisleri water plant in Mumbai's Thane. The brand entered the Indian market as Bisleri mineral water and Bisleri soda. It was only available to the rich class in five-star hotels and expensive restaurants. But for the brand to be a success, it needed to reach the common man.

1969: Beginning of the Indian chapter

For Rs 4 lakh, Bisleri was bought by 'Chauhan Brothers', the masterminds of 'Parle Company' in 1969.

After 1969, Bisleri's expansion happened with the help of Parle. Both the companies expanded their product range and started producing beverages, soft drinks and soda. They proposed to expand the brand overseas.

Bisleri came up with a different concept to produce mineral water in India in Carbonated and non-carbonated mineral water.

1995: Reaching the common man

After the expansion, Parle's major task in hand was to reach the common man. The first print ad campaign featured a butler with a bow tie and it was captioned 'Bisleri is veri veri extraordinari'. The ad let its international essence be there while capturing the consumer's attention.

Credit: Google

It also introduced a small 500 ml bottle priced at just Rs 5.

The idea became a success and Bisleri was successful in reaching the masses. It reduced the price and solved the issue of portability. The company achieved 400 per cent growth and captured 40 per of the packaged water bottle market share.

2006: Rebranding to signature green

After Chauhan Brothers bought the brand, its production, sale and popularity increased. In 2006, the brand changed its packaging. From blue, Bisleri changed the colour to its signature green which helped it stand out from its competitors.

Between 2010 to 2020: Product Expansion

Bisleri's brand and products grew. It launched Club Soda, Vedica- Himalayan water, fizzy soft drinks like Spyci, Limonata, Fonzo and Pina Colada and much more. Throughout the period, it experimented with the packaging style as well.

Bisleri's success strategy

Bisleri holds a market share of 60 per cent in the packaged drinking water industry. It uses the 4Ps of marketing - product, people, price and place - to increase sales. While Bisleri was available to the elite class initially, takeover by the Parle company worked towards increasing its customer base and reaching the common man.

Bisleri used an area-specific pricing policy. Bisleri water bottle available in small shops, railway stations, bus stations and roadside eateries were priced cheaper than compared to those sold in theatres, airports, and restaurants.

It has a consumer-friendly marketing strategy. Bisleri's notable ad campaign was 'one nation, one water' where the bottles' labelling was done in different languages of India to connect with people across the country in 2017.

Credit: Instagram/@bislerizone

Taking leverage on Bisleri's success, a lot of duplicates started coming into the market. Bisleri was available in every store, big or small. Instead of asking for a bottle of water, people asked for a bottle of 'Bisleri'. Bisleri became synonymous with water in India.

Credit: Instagram/@bislerizone

2015: Recognition for Corporate Social Responsibility CSR

Bisleri's contribution towards CSR was also evident. In 2015, Bisleri entered the Guinness World Records and Limca Book of Records for collecting the highest number of PET bottles for recycling. In 2018, it launched an initiative called 'Bottle for Change' which focused on recycling and efficient disposal of plastic.

During Covid

When the world was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, Bisleri launched 'Bisleri@Doorstep Delivery service'. Consumers could place their order online and receive their Bisleri water at home during the lockdown. This helped the brand be in the light and business running.

2022: Takeover buzz

Cut to 2022, Bisleri currently has 122 operational plants, of which 13 are owned by the company, and a distribution network of 4,500 distributors and 5,000 distribution trucks across India and other countries.

Ramesh Chauhan, in a conversation with Economic Times, mentioned Bisleri is expected to have a turnover of Rs 2,500 crore with a profit of Rs 220 crore in FY2023. Bisleri International Private Limited's income from sales stood at Rs 1,181.7 crore and a profit of Rs 95 crore in FY2021, as per the report quoting business intelligence platform Tofler.