Limca becomes Rs 2800 crore brand; India’s favorite lemony beverage was founded in…, now owned by…

Limca, the country’s favorite lemony beverage has achieved a major milestone by becoming a brand worth Rs 2800 crore. The refreshing lime-flavored soft drink is currently owned, manufactured and sold by global beverage giant Coca-Cola, but interestingly the Limca brand was started by an Indian firm and its unique zingy lime formula was created by an Indian entrepreneur.

A brief history of Limca

Around 55 years ago, Ramesh Chauhan, the man famous for creating the popular bottled water brand “Bisleri”, prepared  a unique lemonade formula and named it Limca. At the time, there were several colas and other soft beverages in the Indian market, but Chauhan wanted to create something which was uniquely Indian in taste and preparation.

He found that lemonade was the preferred drink in India during the blistering summers, and thus prepared a lemonade formula that was distinctive in its taste. Though Limca was first formulated in 1970, it took seven long years to enter production because Emergency was imposed in the country in 1975.

Ultimately, after the Emergency was lifted in 1977, Limca entered factory production and was initially manufactured by Delhi-based Lima Limca Limited, who bottled the refreshing beverage in both glass and plastic bottles.

Why Coca-Cola acquired Limca?

Since its inception in 1977, Limca has changed owners twice. The brand was first owned by Parle Agro, and later acquired Coca-Cola, when the American FMCG giant ventured into the Indian market after the 1992 liberalization. According to market experts, the primary reason behind Coca-Cola purchase of Limca and other local beverage brands was to minimise competition.

When Coke entered the Indian market, it quickly found that local beverage like Limca and Thumsup were outselling its products by a significant margin. But instead of competing with these popular Indian brands, Coca-Cola decided to acquire them and bring them under its umbrella.

Coca-Cola purchased Limca in 1993, and now the popular lime beverage has become a brand worth Rs 2800 crore, according to the company’s filings.

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