Soft drinks, packaged water to drive beverage consumption growth

Global consumption of beverages will rise the fastest in India and China in the coming five years, according to a forecast by global research firm Canadean. By 2021, more than two-thirds of the rise in global beverages consumption will come from Asia, which accounts for 60% of the world population, while the share of Europe and the US would drop to 18% from nearly a third in 2000.

Soft drinks and packaged water will be the primary drivers of incremental volume growth, underscoring the opportunities offered by lack of quality tap water. In India, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Bisleri dominate the soft drinks and packaged water market, valued at around over Rs 15,000 crore. The forecast highlights the growing importance of emerging markets. ET takes a look...