Rasna sets up unit in Himachal Pradesh

Soft drink concentrate manufacturer Rasna Private Ltd has set up its first production unit in the north at Baddi in Himachal Pradesh. The plant has an installed capacity of 350,000 cases a year.

It plans to set up two more units with an investment of Rs 10 crore in the region and is studying various locations. These proposed units will have an installed capacity of 600,000 cases a year.

Remarking that the north was coming up rapidly as the soft drink concentrates market, Rajesh Mehta, assistant general manager (marketing), Rasna Private Ltd, told Business Standard that sashays were becoming popular in the suburban and rural north.

To increase its market share, the company is planning to introduce local flavours like shikanjvi, aam panna and jal jeera (popular summer drinks in the north). "There is a tremendous scope for the soft drink concentrates in the north because 80 per cent of the population cannot afford cold drinks," said Mehta.

The recently launched Cola-Cola variant had created a stir in the market by selling 150 million glasses in a month, he claimed. The company had increased its market share from 87 per cent to 93 per cent in the past two years, he added.

To increase its market penetration, the company plans to appoint 500 more distributors by the end of this year. At present, Rasna has 400,000 direct and 700,000 indirect retailers.

It has six regional offices and 2,500 stockists across the country. Rasna has offices in the US, Dubai and Bangladesh and a manufacturing base in Sharjah (the United Arab Emirates) and exports to more than 40 countries.

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Spreading wings

• The company plans to set up two more units in the north with an investment of Rs 10 crore
• It will appoint 500 more distributors by December