A Jio moment in cola war? Reliance ups the ante with Campa

Can Reliance play the price warrior combined with leveraging its own retail distribution to take on the might of global beverage giants Coke and Pepsi?

- SURAJEET DAS GUPTA New Delhi, 10 March

On Thursday, Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (RCPL) which had bought retro brand Campa Cola from Delhibased Pure Drinks for ₹22 crore a few months ago, announced the launch of the brand across the country beginning with Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Brands that have passed into history are rarely revived but Reliance is re-launching Campa Cola which used to be popular in the 1970s, especially in north India.

Initially, when Coke exited India, Campa Cola thrived. When both Coke and Pepsi roared back, it was a David to the two Goliaths in putting up a good fight but eventually it went down.

Reliance is clearly looking at disrupting the market by playing the pricing game at the entry level-it is offering Campa in three flavours cola, orange and lemon at a mere ₹10 for ml in a PET bottle.