PepsiCo introduces Adrenaline Rush in India with two variants priced at Rs 60, targeting Gen-Z consumers in the mass-premium energy segment. The launch complements Sting (Rs 20) and positions PepsiCo across price tiers in a category growing at 2-6% CAGR, intensifying competition with Coca-Cola in the $0.82 billion energy drinks market.

NDTV Profit · 6/2/2026, 3:31:05 PM

Coke's planned 2027 listing of Hindustan Coca-Cola Holdings (~Rs 8,500 cr) will progressively hand bottling control to Jubilant Bhartia, which already paid Rs 10,000 cr for 40%. The shift mirrors the PepsiCo-Varun Beverages model as HCCB profits slid 73% to Rs 757 cr amid Campa Cola's 10-15% share grab.

NDTV Profit · 6/2/2026, 11:12:26 AM

Indian packaged food majors are voluntarily disclosing limited ingredient details on front packs while FSSAI's mandatory salt-sugar-fat labelling regulation remains pending after eight years. Health advocates flag the moves as fragmented and non-standardised, leaving consumers without comparable nutritional signals.

ET Retail · 5/27/2026, 5:24:30 AM

With mandatory front-of-pack labelling norms pending for eight years, PepsiCo, ITC, Nestle and iD Fresh Food have started voluntary callouts on sugar, salt, fats and preservatives across brands like Maggi, Milky Bar, Aashirvaad and Sunfeast Farmlite. Health advocates say piecemeal labels fall short without standardized warnings.

ET Small Business · 5/26/2026, 7:50:04 PM

Goafest 2026's top creative honors went to Mountain Dew's Darescore (QR-coded bottles grading mountain difficulty), Kansai Nerolac's Barefoot Journey (heat-reflective temple walkways cooling surfaces by ~15°C), and Perfetti's Center Fruit GenAI voice campaign in Indian dialects—signaling tech-led brand storytelling as the new creative benchmark.

Financial Express · BrandWagon · 5/26/2026, 5:22:50 PM

Mother Dairy, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Britannia are ramping distribution as ice-cream volumes doubled in 10 days and dairy drinks jumped 30%. April-June drives ~50% of annual soft drink sales. But 8-10% price hikes and fuel inflation are capping AC (+15% YoY) and fridge (+10% YoY) growth below expectations.

ET Retail · 5/25/2026, 5:26:00 AM

Mother Dairy, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Britannia are scaling distribution as ice-cream volumes more than doubled in 10 days and dairy beverages jumped 30%. But 8-10% price hikes and fuel costs are capping durables: AC sales up just 15% YoY and fridges 10%, well below peak-summer expectations.

ET Small Business · 5/25/2026, 12:33:54 AM

VBL stock recovered sharply from March lows on a strong Q1 print (PAT Rs 878.7 cr, +20.1% YoY; revenue Rs 6,574.2 cr, +18.1%), South Africa Beverage Company buyout, and PepsiCo's India bottling license extension to 2049. YES and Emkay raised targets to Rs 615-620; VBL plans 0.5mn outlet adds in CY26.

Business Today · Latest · 5/24/2026, 1:44:52 PM

Varun Beverages has rebounded 42% from its March low on the back of a 20.1% YoY jump in Q1 net profit to Rs 878.7 cr and 18.1% revenue growth to Rs 6,574.2 cr. PepsiCo's bottling license extension to 2049, the South Africa Beverage Company buyout, and 0.5 mn outlet additions have prompted YES and Emkay to raise targets to Rs 615-620.

Business Today · Latest · 5/24/2026, 10:09:05 AM

VBL secured a decade-long extension of its exclusive PepsiCo bottling and trademark rights in India, pushing the agreement from 2039 to 2049. PepsiCo also dropped a non-compete clause, freeing VBL to pursue non-PepsiCo business. Stock rose 3.49% to Rs 538 on the news.

NDTV Profit · 5/22/2026, 5:09:57 AM

VBL extended its exclusive PepsiCo bottling and trademark pact in India by a decade to April 2049, covering brands like Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sting, Mirinda, 7UP and Tropicana across 27 states. Crucially, PepsiCo dropped the SPV restriction, letting VBL diversify into businesses beyond Pepsi operations.

ET Retail · 5/22/2026, 4:56:31 AM

PepsiCo extended VBL's exclusive India bottling and trademark license by a decade to April 2049 and removed restrictions, freeing the bottler to pursue non-PepsiCo activities. Shares jumped 3.45% to a 52-week high of Rs 222.45, pushing market cap to Rs 1.80 lakh crore.

Business Today · Latest · 5/22/2026, 4:33:30 AM

Varun Beverages renewed its exclusive PepsiCo bottling and trademark license for India through May 21, 2026 to 2049, replacing the prior 2039 agreement. Crucially, the revised pact drops the restrictive clause barring VBL from pursuing non-PepsiCo businesses, opening the door to portfolio diversification.

NDTV Profit · 5/22/2026, 4:13:33 AM

VBL extended its exclusive India bottling and trademark licensing agreement with PepsiCo by a decade to April 30, 2049. Critically, the revised pact drops the non-compete clause that barred VBL from non-PepsiCo businesses, opening the door to category and brand diversification across its 27-state footprint.

NDTV Profit · 5/21/2026, 5:35:10 PM

VBL extended its exclusive PepsiCo bottling and trademark license for India by a decade to April 2049, superseding the earlier 2039 term. Critically, PepsiCo lifted the SPV restriction, clearing VBL to pursue non-PepsiCo businesses — a structural unlock for diversification across its 27-state footprint.

ET Small Business · 5/21/2026, 2:57:47 PM

Kraft Heinz is cutting prices, expanding promos and rolling out smaller low-priced packs as 89% of shoppers report grocery stress and 87% feel squeezed by inflation. PepsiCo and General Mills follow with surgical cuts after grocery prices climbed 26% over five years and PepsiCo NA sales fell 2% in 2025.

PYMNTS Retail · 5/15/2026, 2:19:51 AM

Mirinda rolls out a refreshed visual identity built around a new 'Smile Please' platform, featuring retro-modern design, bold typography, oversized fruit visuals and a reimagined logo. Developed in-house by PepsiCo Design and Innovation, the system aims to sharpen Gen Z relevance across global markets.

Beverage Industry · 5/15/2026, 2:15:28 AM

PepsiCo-owned prebiotic soda brand poppi is leveraging its first major co-brand since the acquisition, launching a fruit punch SKU tied to Love Island USA in single cans and 4-packs. The tie-in targets Gen Z reality TV viewers and signals PepsiCo's intent to scale poppi through cultural marketing plays.

Beverage Industry · 5/15/2026, 2:13:20 AM

The 93-year-old glucose brand debuts Recharge RTD (Rs 60/500ml) and sachets (Rs 165/5-pack), with Milind Soman as ambassador. It enters a Rs 650-700 crore category growing 10-12% annually, where Gatorade holds over 50% share. Pricing, sugar perception, and category penetration remain hurdles.

Financial Express · BrandWagon · 5/14/2026, 1:32:32 AM

A wave of CEO exits swept India's FMCG sector in 2025, with HUL, Britannia, Nestle India, Diageo and PepsiCo among those changing leadership as boards lose patience amid weak volumes, urban demand slowdown and inflation-hit margins.

CNBC TV18 · Retail · 5/13/2026, 10:25:39 PM