Monday was yet another working day at the factories of century-old Tamil Nadu-based Kali Aerated Water Works. Despite a call given by the traders body to boycott Pepsi and Coke, the makers of Kalimark and Bovonto soft drink brands were producing the normal quota of soft drinks at their facilities spread across Tamil Nadu.
“We are not competing with multinational software giants. For several decades, we have charted our own course and have been growing as per our plans. After the announcement of cola ban, there has been some increase in our production level over the last few weeks, because of increased demand. However, we have not taken the ban call seriously, as we do not think we compete with them directly. Besides, we are also increasing our production to match the summer sales,” said K.P.R. Dhanush Kodi, Managing Director, Kali Aerated Water Works.
Before the arrival of multinational firms, the firm competed with soda makers from Dindigul and Kumbakonam. Started by P.V.S.K. Palaniappa Nadar in 1916, Kali Aerated Water Works is now managed by the fourth generation of the family of entrepreneurs.
The company, which was producing Bovonto, paneer soda, club soda, ginger beer, lemon and orange in different locations in Tamil Nadu, started to grow soon after the regrouping of all its units under one umbrella since 2013. Mr. Dhanush Kodi claimed that Kali Aerated Water Works has a 16 per cent market share in the carbonated and non-carbonated category. It is planning to shed its conservative image by entering into new areas and new categories in the coming months. Also, in February 2016, it had relaunched its panneer soda brand, a carbonated rose-flavoured drink, as Vibro.
‘₹1,000 crore target’
“We have been growing at a rate of 25% year-on-year since 2013. We will close the current financial year with a revenue of ₹ 200 crore and within the next three years, our vision is to hit ₹1,000 crore. We can achieve this easily, as we have lined up several products that includes making ready-to-eat snacks, introducing soft drinks in cans for export, selling fruit juices, installing soft drink dispensing machines in crowded public places, entering neighbouring states, exporting to more countries and probably selling soft drinks online,” said S. Chandra Sekaran, Director, Kali Aerated Water Works.
The company is setting up a new production unit in Sri City, near Chennai, at an investment of ₹60 crore.
