9JULY 2025INDIA EYES TRADE PACTS, INVESTMENTS AMID COPPER CRUNCHRCPL will invest up to Rs 8,000 crore to set up 10-12 new beverage plants It targets rivals like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo with brands like Campa and Sosyo The company aims for 70% market reach by next year In a major step towards the transformation of the Indian beverages market that is upbeat on its growth radar, Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (RCPL), the FMCG of Reliance Retail, has started to invest up to 8000 crore in the next 12-15 months to add beverages manufacturing capacity. Based on industry sources, the investment is expected to help it set up 10-12 new greenfields and co-packing plants in the country, something that will be RCPL's largest capital outlay in history.Amid tightening global copper supplies and rising import dependence, India is stepping up efforts to secure long-term copper access and reduce vulnerability through strategic trade negotiations This aggressive expansion strategy signals Reliance's intent to challenge global giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, while also targeting price-sensitive regional players with a portfolio that includes Campa Cola, Sosyo, Sun Crush, Spinner, and RasKik."The capex is being done on a combined investment of Rs 6,000-8,000 crore by Reliance and some of its partners," a company executive said.The Guwahati facility launched earlier this year, along with an upcoming plant in Bihar, will cater to regional demands. In total, RCPL currently manufactures beverages in 18 plants, all through co-investments. Notably, the Spinner sports drink, created in collaboration with former cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan, is competitively priced at 10 for a 250ml bottle.Despite limited market availability, RCPL plans national rollout of its brands by FY27, targeting 70% market presence by next year. The strategy of the company is to target 600 million consumers of the mass market and to provide the local retailers with good trade margins.As the beverage market in India is estimated to reach 1.47 lakh crore in 2030, the growth of RCPL signifies the fact that Reliance wants to emerge as the leader regarding FMCG products in the Indian market. and domestic expansion. According to sources in the government and a draft policy document, New Delhi is having discussions with countries rich in copper, especially Chile and Peru, in order to secure clauses in current Free Trade Agreements with committed copper supplies.Currently, India imports over 90% of its copper concentrates and it will likely go to 97% of demand by 2047. In FY 2024-25, India's domestic refined copper supply is 573,000 metric tons. Indian domestic demand is 1.8 million tons, so the difference has been increasing imports, which reached 1.2 million metric tons in FY 2024-25.India may allow global miners such as Codelco and BHP to develop smelters in India and may purchase interests in their rights overseas. The state-owned company, Khanij Bidesh India Ltd., has been directed to find copper assets in Chile, Peru, Australia and Mongolia.As global producers are moving towards "resource nationalism" that includes exports restrictions from China, India is prioritizing the acquisition of foreign assets as a way to protect supply chains and perform due diligence for its access to strategic minerals. The permanent closure of Vedanta's Sterlite facility in 2018, is a catalyst to increase domestic capacity and specifically Copper capacity in the domestic economy. RELIANCE CONSUMER TO INVEST 8,000 CRORE IN SCALING INDIA'S BEVERAGE BUSINESS
< Page 8 | Page 10 >