During the emergency period in India, Coca-Cola was made to leave India
At the time, most Indians who could afford foreign products preferred them over Indian brands. One such product was Coca-Cola, the biggest cola drink brand in the world. However, when Coca-Cola was made to leave India, one Indian brand rose.
Coca-Cola entered India in the 1950s and ruled the market. Alongside them was another player named Double Seven, but their products weren’t loved much by the Indian audience.
In the 70s, when an emergency hit India, the then-Soviet-style Indian economic strategies asked Coca-Cola to share its secret formula with Pure Drink Groups, the Indian manufacturer that made Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola refused and exited India.
Pure Drink Group owner Charanjit Singh was unhappy with both the government’s order and Coca-Cola’s denial because stopping the business would mean ending the livelihood of 2,800 employees.
Soon, Pure Drink Groups launched an orange-flavoured soft drink named Campa Cola, which grabbed the taste buds of India. Campa Cola ruled the Indian soft drink market until the 1990s.
In 1991, Coca-Cola made a comeback after India’s new economic reforms, but Campa Cola didn’t give up the fight. Coca-Cola’s brand name and unique marketing won the battle, and Campa Cola disappeared from the market.
In 2003, Mukesh Ambani bought Campa Cola, and the Indian cola brand is now again in the market, hoping to disrupt the markets of Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Thums Up.
