The unique story behind iconic bottled water brand Bisleri

There are no two opinions that Bisleri has been synonymous with water in India. The bottled-water brand is the most popular in the country due to its extraordinary reach. And when people start copying you, that means you have already become successful in life.

When did Bisleri come into existence?
The beginning of Bisleri dates back to 1851, when businessman, chemist and inventor Signor Felice developed it to sell it as an alcohol remedy made up of herbs, cinchona and iron salts. The family doctor of Felice, Dr Rossi, was also a very close friend of his. After the death of Felice, Rossi became the owner of Bisleri.

Dr Rossi then partnered with his Indian friend and lawyer, Khushroo Suntook and started working on the idea of selling bottled-mineral water in India. Both established a plant in Thane, Mumbai and initially met with criticism as the water was readily available at that time. However, there was a shortage of quality drinking water, especially in India's financial capital, and this gave the needed push for growth.


The Bisleri brand started taking off from five-star hotels and restaurants to ordinary people. The men behind the Parle company, the Chauhan brothers, bought the Bisleri in 1969 at Rs. 4 lakh. Bisleri then became extremely popular in India and abroad through promotional advertising.

FAQs

What is the current market share of Bisleri?
Bisleri is the leading packaged drinking water brand with a share of 60%.

When did Bisleri change its signature green colour label from the blue?
The company changed the blue label to green in 2006.