‘Thums Up’ becomes a billion-dollar brand

If the popular saying – ‘Slow but steady wins the race’ – has any bearings in the packaged drinks market, then it surely fits perfectly with the brand Thums Up. The locally-made fizzy drinks brand has finally proved its might at a global scale by becoming a billion dollar brand in 2021.

The made-in-India cola brand that is now owned by the fizzy drinks giant Coca-Cola – has raked in over $1 billion (Rs 7,500 crore) in sales last year, according to a top Coca-Cola official. Launched in 1977, the 45 years old brand has been enjoying the leadership position in the country’s aerated drinks market for years.

But now, it has also grabbed the rare honour of being one of the billion-dollar brands in the global beverages’ market. With Thums Up taking the crown, Coca-Cola now has some dozen brands globally that has over $1 billion annual sales.

According to James Quincey, CEO of Coca-Cola Company, Thums Up is now a billion-dollar brand in India. “Our local Thums Up brand became a billion-dollar brand in India driven by focused marketing and execution plans”, he said during a post-earnings call today at the US.

Thums Up landed in Coca-Cola’s lap in 1993, when the American giant re-entered the India market and bought the fizzy drinks portfolio from the local cola king Ramesh Chauhan, founder of Parle Bisleri. It had also acquired popular brands like Maaza and Gold Spot then.

During the December quarter, Coke’s sales grew by nearly 30 per cent in the country as “initiates like omni-channel presence and marketing campaigns in key occasions by leveraging festivals through occasion-led marketing formed sequential increase in market”, Quincey added.