Asahi to launch dairy drinks brand Calpis in India

Asahi Group is preparing to present its Calpis dairy drinks marque successful India done a franchise statement with PepsiCo bottler Varun Beverages.

In a connection today, the Japanese institution said the motorboat of the fermented milk-based portion marks its debut successful the "non-alcohol/non-carbonated beverage market" successful India.

The Tokyo-listed radical exports intoxicant beverages to the market, including Asahi Super Dry lager.

Calpis is expected to onshore successful the marketplace successful the 2nd fractional of this twelvemonth "or thereafter", the group's connection said. Asahi volition motorboat the marque successful 2 flavours, archetypal and mango.

The drinks volition beryllium sold 180ml bottles and priced astatine Rs20 ($0.21) each, the institution confirmed to Just Drinks.

Asked astir organisation channels, Asahi said the "details are inactive being finalised, and we are incapable to supply further accusation astatine this time".

Under the franchise agreement, Asahi volition instrumentality complaint of merchandise improvement and method assistance to nutrient Calpis drinks.

Its section subsidiary volition negociate selling and marque oversight, portion Varun Beverages volition beryllium liable for manufacturing, organisation and sales.

Varun Beverages, established successful the 1990s, is PepsiCo's second-largest franchisee extracurricular the US and operates 53 accumulation facilities successful India and overseas.

In May, the bottler obtained a 10-year hold to its exclusive bottling and trademark licence statement with PepsiCo successful India.

The updated woody besides removed a regularisation that had barred the institution from engaging successful non-PepsiCo business.

In today's statement, Asahi said India's colonisation of much than 1.4 cardinal makes it "an highly promising marketplace for non-alcohol beverages".

Atsushi Katsuki, the CEO of Asahi Group Holdings, called India "one of the world's astir dynamic and promising beverage markets".

Citing figures from GlobalData, genitor institution of Just Drinks, Asahi said that measurement successful India's non-alcoholic beverages marketplace has accrued by astir 2.3 times betwixt 2015 and 2025.

It added that India "is expected to connection galore maturation opportunities, driven by factors specified arsenic colonisation growth, the enlargement of the affluent middle-class, and rising health-consciousness among consumers".

In 2025, the Super Dry brewer besides announced a franchise statement with Chinese drinks institution KSF Beverage Holdings to bring its Calpis Water marque to mainland China.

Last week, Asahi lowered its full-year 2025 outlook, citing strategy disruptions linked to a cyberattack successful Japan, softer sales, higher earthy worldly costs, impairment losses and expenses tied to disruptions.