Tata plans water brand to take on Coke, Pepsi

Tata Tea, which sold its stake in US-based Glaceau in last year, plans to begin selling a low-priced bottled water in the country through its unit Mount Everest Mineral Water (MEMW) to take on global rivals such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo in the Rs 1,500-crore packaged drinking water market.

"We want to do it quickly,'' Pradeep Poddar, managing director and CEO, Mount Everest, told Business Standard. "The market is still very young and we can evolve it further through marketing new offerings."

The company may sell its bottled water brand for masses at rates lower than those offered by competitors Bisleri, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, he said. "The challenge for us is developing a right technology."