How Safe Is Your Drinking Water?

The growing distrust in purity of water has fuelled the packaged drinking water and water purifier businesses.

- Sarika Malhotra

Unknown just three decades ago, ‘mineral water’ is today ubiquitous in India . Packaged drinking water is a `6,000-crore industry with brands like Bisleri, Kinley and Aquafina becoming household names. Even in the early 1990s, the per capita annual consumption of bottled water was a mere four to five litres. It has since risen to more than 20 litres. The industry is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 22 per cent and expected to touch `16,000 crore by 2018, according to market intelligence firm, ValueNotes.