Coca-Cola And Pepsi Face New Threat In India As Country's Richest Person Revives Iconic Brand

India's Reliance Industries, led by the country's richest man Mukesh Ambani, has partnered with three popular franchise cricket teams as it seeks to pit Campa, an iconic cola brand, against soft drink giants like Coca-Cola Co. KO and PepsiCo Inc. PEP.

What Happened: In the upcoming Indian Premier League, or IPL — the country's most popular franchise cricket tournament — Campa Cola will be seen as a “pouring partner” for three teams, Lucknow Super Giants, Punjab Kings Squad and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

See Also On Benzinga India: What Is Campa Cola’s Share Price And How To Buy?

Campa Cola is expected to be widely available in various trade channels in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana among others by the start of the IPL season in end-March, sources familiar with the development told the Hindu Business Line.

Earlier this month, Reliance Industries launched its Campa range of chilled beverages, with the initial introduction in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The beverage brand intends to increase its visibility during the IPL by engaging in activities such as title sponsorship, and partnering with teams for jersey branding and refreshment. The company also intends to promote Campa Cola during “strategic timeouts” — the breaks cricketers take for refreshments in between matches.

Many in India who grew up in the 80s and 90s know about the iconic Campa Cola, but today’s young generation might not be familiar with it. The company aims to make the young audience aware of its brand through partnership efforts.

It will be interesting to see how the brand is received now in India.

Coca-Cola’s Sprite is the top carbonated soft drink in the country, according to data made available by HDFC Securities (via Statista), accounting for a 20% market share.

In the cola segment alone, Coca-Cola’s brand Thumbs Up has a 16% market share while Coca Cola’s namesake brand has 9% hold of the market. Pepsi accounts for 8% of the overall carbonated soft drinks market in India.

Check Benzinga’s coverage of the Indian stock market and economy by following this link.

Read Next: CCI Green Lights Reliance Retail's Purchase Of This Cash-And-Carry Business Giant