Food and Beverages maker PepsiCo said it has entered into a strategic partnership with bottling partner Varun Beverages, which will now sell and distribute the entire Tropicana range of juices along with Gatorade and Quaker Value-Added Dairy in north and east India.
Already, Varun Beverages Ltd (VBL) holds manufacturing, sales and distribution rights for Tropicana Slice and Tropicana Frutz in north and east regions.
“In order to further unlock the potential of brand Tropicana, we have entered into a strategic partnership with VBL for ramping up the selling and delivery infrastructure for our Premium Go to Market channel in their territories across North and East India,” Deepika Warrier, Vice President-Nutrition Category, PepsiCo India said in a statement.
The company said the north and east regions together account for 80 percent of the juice market in India and VBL’s contiguous reach helps us more than double the distribution reach in these states.
“The goal is to double the Tropicana juice business by 2020 and to grow to be India’s No 1 fruit and veggies brand in the next decade,” Warrier said.
VBL is a leading franchisee of carbonated soft drinks and non-carbonated beverages sold under trademarks owned by PepsiCo.
“We are confident that the addition of this portfolio will help expand the franchise for brand Tropicana in these territories,” Ravi Jaipuria, Chairman, Varun Beverages Ltd said.
It produces and distributes a wide range of products including Pepsi, 7UP, Tropicana Slice and packaged drinking water under the brand Aquafina.
