9JULY 2025RELIANCE CONSUMER TO INVEST 8,000 CRORE IN SCALING INDIA'S BEVERAGE BUSINESSCOLGATE-PALMOLIVE EYES INDIA EXPANSION WITH NEW GLOBAL BRANDSIn 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.Colgate-Palmolive India will extend their portfolio by launching some new brands of their parent company's global portfolio, and they want to go beyond the historic Colgate (oral care) and Palmolive (personal care) labels. India has become one of the top five focus markets for this multinational FMCG giant, and they are looking at 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. new launches in home care and personal care rather than just extensions of existing lines. This move comes at a time when it is registering 20­30% compound annual growth in Palmer body wash and hand wash categories. They have also highlighted that rural India is outpacing urban areas with growth, while urban areas are documenting pressure on overall FMCG demand.To grow considerably, Colgate-Palmolive is fully embracing a hybrid approach. In addition to reaching customers through deeper engagement with kirana stores and traditional distributors, it has also been launching exclusively digital-first items like its Colgate Purple, Max Fresh Sensories, and mouthwash sticks. Despite a brand-new set of issues with its distributors over discounts to speed merchants, the company is committed to not collapsing all channels to one. · Colgate-Palmolive India to introduce new global brands beyond Colgate and Palmolive· Rural India and premium personal care driving double-digit growth· Digital-first launches to complement traditional retail strategy
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