[projects4mp]

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

While the unimaginable growth rates of more than 38 % and even 100% can be explained due to lower base the present growth rate of 25-30% is sustainable for another 5-6 years.

The market size of bottled water too is expected to surpass the size of soft drinks market in near future. The next in queue seems to be HLL, which too has identified the bottled water as a growth area for future. The company is presently looking or some suitable brand for acquisition. Britannia too evinced some initial interest in the market but now seems to have postponed its plans. The existing players too are set to expand their distribution network to have their presence across the country.

The market is also expected to undergo a major consolidation phase. As one of the major factors that are important for success in the market is the distribution network, the players with deep pockets are expected to go for acquisition of existing small regional players to spread their network across the country. Though Coke and Pepsi have both, well established distribution network as well as bottling & manufacturing plants, they seems to be at an advantage but players like HLL with strong financial muscle can easily turn the tables in their favour through acquisition route .

It is expected that the market would continue to grow at a healthy rate of 25-30% for few years from now and the market size too, is expected to increase to Rs. 17bn by 2004-5.

2. Objectives of the Study:

The objectives of the study are :

1) To review the Bottled Water Industry,
2) To study the consumption pattern of bottled water of various sectors such as Corporate, Cinema halls, Caterers etc.
3) To study the popularity of different brands and their market share in various sectors such as Corporate, Cinema halls, Caterers etc. in category of 20 ltr jar.