Mango lovers help Maaza take the fizz out of Coca-Cola's Thums Up

India's love for mangoes has helped Coca-Cola's Maaza earn the top position among the company's beverages, leaving fizzy beverages such as Thums Up and Sprite in its dust, according to a report in The Economic Times.

"While Thums Up remains the largest brand in the company’s portfolio based on size, Maaza is the fastest growing now," said Arnab Roy, vice president & head-marketing, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia.

Roy said that Thums Up became a billion dollar brand by sales in India last year and considering its growth rate, Maaza is poised to touch billion dollars in sales "in the next few years".
The popular mango fruit drink is Coca-Cola’s third largest brand in India now and the category leader among juices including competitors such as Parle’s Frooti and PepsiCo's Slice.

According to the report, Coca-Cola now plans to take the mango drink to markets outside India, for which it is working on obtaining regulatory country-specific clearances. Other plans include focusing on nutrition as a core growth vertical in India as well as in the world. The beverage maker is also investing in dairy and glucose-based drinks to broadbase its portfolio beyond core fizzy drinks.

The reopening of businesses and early onset of summer have resulted in five-year record sales in the season. The company said in its March quarter earnings statement that its India unit added 500 million incremental transactions, up nearly 20 per cent year-on-year in the quarter, according to ET.

Coca-Cola recently introduced Zero Sugar in India, a mango-based drink Aam Panna under the Maaza franchise, and Fanta's Apple Delit. Roy added that the company is exploring bringing in global brands as well as launching more hyperlocal brands with regional flavours, besides sports and mass-energy drinks.

Coca-Cola India earlier committed an investment of $1.7 billion for creating a 'fruit circular economy' till 2023.