Cola wars are passé, it's things like mobile phone services that are the real competition for Coke products, said Neville Isdell, chairman and chief operating officer of Coca-Cola, the world's largest beverage company.
In India, strategy is no longer about competing with global rival PepsiCo or other local soft drink brands. Instead, it's about influencing consumer choice away from such purchases as rock-bottom pre-paid mobile cards to buying a Coke product.
"What you are fighting over is the money in the pocket of the consumer. Our competition is not as narrow as people think -- it we are in a broad competitive set," said Isdell, who is in India on a personal-cum-official visit.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta-based beverage company is also planning to enter the packaged tea market -- that is, launch offerings from its global offerings either in cans or bottles -- though it did not divulge when.
The company has a global tie-up with Nestle to distribute its Nestea brand of canned and bottled teas. Its own portfolio for tea includes Gold Peak, Hi-c-Tea, Love Body and Enviga, the last three essentially health drinks.
"Tea is a very high-growth
On the criticism that the company faced in India following controversies over contaminated water, Isdell said: "We have allowed ourselves to be a target, when we should not be. Diet Coke is a healthy product, Coke Zero has been our most successful launch in 25 years and we are working on natural sweeteners to replace artificial sweeteners."
Responding to lessons he learnt from the controversy in Kerala over drawing groundwater resources, Isdell said: "The lesson was that we need to engage with society. It is only then that we will have a level-playing field in any debate."
Isdell also said Coke is making money in India even though it is not one of the most profitable markets because the company was reinvesting in India.
Coke has already invested $1.5 billion in the country and it will be putting in another $250 million over two or three years for its expansion and growth in India.
