Rasna to foray into ready-to-drink market

NEW DELHI: Soft drink concentratemaker Rasna on Sunday said it is foraying into the ready-to-drink market throughvending machines franchisee route and plans to install about 10,000 machines atvarious joints in the country in the current year. "We would beinstalling about 10,000 machines at different joints such as railway stations,petrol pumps, schools and super markets to step up outside-the-house consumptionof the drink," its Chairman and Managing Director Piruz Khambatta told PTIhere.He said the company would invest about Rs 15 crore in theventure and the cost of a single machine, which is about Rs 30,000, would beshared equally by Rasna and the franchisee holder. Even at themodest sales projection of 100 glasses per installation per day, Rasna waslooking at sales of about 36 crore glasses per annum, he said, adding thecompany has already tied up with franchisees in Gujarat and Maharashtra and wasin talks with various parties in other regions.The digital machineswould dispense two hot beverages - tea and coffee - and two flavours of Rasna''srecently launched Juc-Up range. Rasna was also planning a majorforay into the rural market through its 50 paise per glass drink."There is a vast untapped market out there and we want to expand tothat segment as well," Khambatta said. The company would run about3000 vans on different routes in the country to popularise the drink in ruralareas, he said. The soft drink concentrate market was also expectinga 100 per cent growth in exports this fiscal, he said.