The talks are understood to have been initiated by the Tata group FMCG arm TCPL.
If this acquisition takes place, the Tata Group may spread its wings in packaged drinking water across the entry-level, mid-segment and premium packaged water categories. Apart from this, the group will enter the ready market network of Bisleri which is spread across retail stores, chemist channels, institutional channels, including hotels, restaurants and airports, besides bulk-water delivery.
ALSO READ: Bisleri forays into hand hygiene segment
In 2021, Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd also expanded into the personal hygiene segment with the launch of Bisleri hand purifiers. With consumers becoming more health and hygiene conscious, sanitizers have become a necessity since the beginning of the pandemic, the company had said in a statement.
"Tata Consumer Products does not comment on market speculation," said a Tata Consumer Products spokesperson in an e-mailed reply.
According to report, the Tata Group houses its consumer business under Tata Consumer Products Ltd (TCPL) already sells packaged mineral water under the brand Himalayan. In the hydration segment, Tata Group also has brands Tata Copper Plus Water and Tata Gluco.
The Indian bottled water market was valued at over ₹19,315 crore in FY2021, said a report from market research and advisory TechSci Research.
"Bottled water is gaining popularity among consumers because it is thought to be more hygienic than loose normal water in the market, which is not good for health and is unsafe to drink," the report said.
As per details, across India, Ramesh Chauhan-owned Bisleri International has over 150 manufacturing plants and a network of over 4,000 distributors with 5,000 trucks. Also, estimates say the size of the packaged water market is around ₹20,000 crore, of which 60 per cent is unorganised.
Bisleri which owns 32 per cent of the organised market, has its own app Bisleri@Doorstep to deliver products directly to consumers, including bulk 20-litre packs as well as smaller bottles starting from 250 ml to 1 litre.
With PTI inputs.
