Rasna to enter ready-to-drink segment, to launch energy drinks

NEW DELHI: Fruit drink concentrate maker Rasna is mulling to enter the ready-to-drink segment with plans to launch energy drinks and premium juice through a new subsidiary.

"Currently, we are looking at manufacturing high end beverage products, energy drink, fortified water and premium juice," Rasna Chairman and Managing Director Piruz Khambatta told PTI.

The new business will be operated under a new entity, Rasna Beverages, which will be independent of the juice concentrate operations, he added.

For the new vertical, Rasna could enter into technical collaborations with other firms regarding this new vertical, Khambatta said.

"We are not looking at any financial tie up, but brand licensing and technical collaboration could happen in the coming future. Negotiations and discussions with certain companies are on. However, it is too early to give out names at this stage," he said.

Khambatta declined to comment on investment details for the new vertical, but said: "Investment would be done from internal accruals."

The company, which also makes fruit jams, fruit cordials, teas, pickles, chutneys, had recently launched a reformulated 'Rasna Fruit Plus' and appointed cricketer Virender Sehwag as the brand ambassador for a two-year term.

It has also appointed Bollywood actor Genelia Deshmukh, to endorse the concentrate product for two years.

Rasna, which is the one of the leading producer of concentrates and instant powder, has a distribution network comprising 35 depots, 2,500 stockists, 18 lakh retail outlets and 700 sales people across the country.