Campa Cola: Reliance relaunches iconic beverage brand in India; to challenge foreign colas
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: The 50-year-old iconic soft drink brand, Campa Cola, is back in India.
The Reliance Group acquired this popular soft drink brand recently for a relaunch across the Indian market, the media reported on Friday.
Campa-Cola was the beverage of choice in India until replaced by other foreign ones, like Pepsi and Coca-Cola.
The media reported that, in September 2022, Reliance acquired the Campa drinks brand for Rs. 22 crores from Pure Drinks Group, originally the sole distributor of Coca-Cola from 1949 to 1970. In the 1970s, Pure Drinks launched its own brand, Campa Cola, which soon became the market leader in this segment.
With two bottling plants in Mumbai and Delhi, Campa Cola became highly successful and even launched the Campa Orange brand. However, in the 1990s it fizzled out and lost out to the stiff foreign competition.
The media reports, quoting Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (RCPL), the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) arm of Reliance Retail, said on Thursday the company is “bringing back ‘The Great Indian Taste’ with Campa.”
“The Campa portfolio will initially include Campa Cola, Campa Lemon, and Campa Orange in the sparkling beverage category,” the reports said.
The launch of Campa portfolio, they said, “is in line with the company’s strategy to promote homegrown Indian brands that not only have a rich heritage but also boast a deep-rooted connect with Indian consumers due to their unique tastes and flavors.”
Campa will be available in five pack sizes 200, 500, 600, 1,000, and 2,000 milliliters, initially in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and across India.
The Reliance Group was reportedly buying some other popular Indian brands of yesteryears in various segments for relaunching them in the country in view of their brand recall value among millions of consumers.
In January 2023, RCPL also acquired a 50 percent stake in Gujarat-based carbonated soft drinks and juice maker Sosyo Hajoori Beverages Pvt Ltd.
