Budget 2016: Sales may get thanda as colas lose thunder

Get ready to shell out more for soft drinks this summer. Prices of colas such as Coke and Pepsi may go up by around Rs 1-8 depending on pack sizes as the excise duty on sugary aerated water has been increased from 18% to 21% in the budget.

Large beverage makers had hiked prices only last year as the government had imposed sin taxes of around 5% and 0.5%, respectively , on colas in previous two budgets.From Rs 2 for a 200ml glass bottle, prices increased by around Rs 8 for PET bottles.

“We will try as much as possible not to hike prices of 200ml bottles,“ said a senior executive at a beverage firm.“Even after the previous duty hikes, we tried not to pass on the cost to consumers.“