EXECUTIVE SUMMARYPackage drinking water:

The fountain of all life. Even a toddler will tell you it is a prime need of the body. Sixty per cent of our body weight is made up of it. Water can also be the cause of much misery. Especially in India, where contaminated water continues to bring down millions with diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid, jaundice and gastro-enteritis.

Getting pure drinking water from municipal taps in cities and towns is now a luxury. At home most people are forced to either boil water or install purifiers. While traveling or eating out in restaurants, buying bottled water has become a necessity. This need has seen an explosion of companies marketing safe drinking water in bottles across the country.

Now around 100 companies sell an estimated 424 million liters of bottled water valued at around Rs. 200 crore in the country annually.

The tradition of bottled water and mineral water is not very old. Even in western countries the practice of bottled drinking water started in 1950s. The trend of having mineral water gained grounds in the market.

Since ancient time people have used water from mineral springs, especially hot springs, for bathing due to its supposed therapeutic value for rheumatism, arthritis, skin diseases, and various other ailments. Depending on the temperature of the water, the location, the altitude, and the climate at the spring, it can be used to cure different ailments. This started the trend of using mineral water for drinking purpose to exploit the therapeutic value of the water. This trend started gaining momentum in mid 1970s and since then large quantities of bottled water from mineral springs in France and other European The concept of bottled has been quite prevalent in western countries due to greater health consciousness and higher awareness about health and hygiene countries are exported every year.

In INDIA with exposure of media and exposure to international life styles, deteriorating levels of potable water, increase in a number of water borne cases, increase in awareness About health and hygiene and other related factors led to acceptability of concept of mineral water. The market has not looked back ever since then and has grown leaps and bounds to such an extent that a number of genuine as well as fly-by -night operators have entered it to milk it.

OBJECTIVE

Through this project my objective has been to understand the following:

To know about the current scenario of bottle water market.

The reasons for a stunted growth in the package drinking water brand

To know how the brand BISLERI still rules the bottle water market

To know the marketing strategies applied by BISLERI, its manufacturing process its 4 Ps etc and what is its impact on the consumers

To understand and realize the needs and wants of consumers and how to fulfill them

Finally I carried out a survey to find out which is the most preferred brand by the people & the survey was carried on in south Mumbai specially in areas like church gate and colaba.

HOW IS BOTTLE WATER DIFFERENT FROM TAP WATER?Consistent quality and taste are two of the principal differences between bottled water and tap water. While bottled water originates from protected sources - largely from underground aquifers and springs - tap water comes mostly from rivers and lakes.

Another factor to consider is the distance tap water must travel and what it goes through before it reaches the tap. In compliance with international regulations, bottled water is sealed and packaged in sanitary containers. If a bottled water product is found to be substandard, it can be recalled. This cant happen in case of tap water.

According to regulations in the US, when bottled water is sourced from a community water system the product label must state so clearly. However, if the water is subject to distillation, de ionization or reverse osmosis, it can be categorized that way, and does not have to state on its label that it is from a community water system or from a municipal source.

Processing methods such as reverse osmosis remove most chemical and microbiological contaminants

COMPETITIONThe bottled water industry has two other industries as its biggest competitors in from of Water purifiers industry and the soft drinks industry. Though the water purifier industry should be credited to have done the spadework, for setting up the foundation of bottled water industry but still it acts as competitors especially in the household and institutional consumption market. So the water purifier is a strong competitor in household and institutional market the soft drinks market is a strong rather very strong competitor in the retail consumption market.

Bottled water became a product in the West during the 1920s and developed rapidly. Huge market size, numerous local brands and controlled price mechanism are some of the features of the market there. Consumers in the West are quality conscious and display brand loyalty. Indian consumers lack on both the counts.

In Asia, Indonesia is the largest and the oldest market for bottled water. In India, bottled water is still not perceived as a product for masses though; the scene is changing slowly thanks to low pricing and aggressive marketing strategy adopted by new entrants. Some surveys show that truck drivers on highways form a major chunk of bottled water drinkers. Penetration in rural areas is another significant factor that is likely to play a key role in the development of the bottled water trade.

In comparison to global standards Indias bottled water segment is largely unregulated. Safe water is rated with a different yardstick in different countries. In India, the aspect has been overlooked for long. Indian consumers tend to believe that any bottled water is safe water. This may not be the case.

TYPES OF BOTTLED WATERThere are several different varieties of bottled water. The product may be labeled as bottled water, drinking water or any of the following terms.

Artesian Well Water: Bottled water from a well that taps a confined aquifer (a water bearing underground layer of rock or sand) in which the water level stands at some height above the top of the aquifer.

Drinking Water: Drinking water is another name for bottled water. Accordingly drinking water is water that is sold for human consumption in sanitary containers and contains no added sweeteners or chemical additives (other than flavors, extracts or essences). It must be calorie-free and sugar- free, Flavors, extracts or essences may be added to drinking water, but they must comprise less than one-percent- by weight of the final product or the product will be considered a soft drink.

Mineral Water: Bottled water containing not less than 250 parts per million total dissolved solids may be labeled as mineral water. Mineral water is distinguished from other types of bottled water by its constant level and relative proportions of mineral and trace elements at the point of emergence from the source. No mineral can be added to this product.

Purified Water: Water that has been produced by distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis or other suitable process can be labeled as purified bottled water. Other suitable product names for bottled water treated by one of the above processes may include distilled water if it is produced by distillation, de-ionized water if the water is produced by deionization, or reverse osmosis water if the process used is reverse osmosis.

Sparkling Water: Water that after treatment and possible replacement with carbon dioxide contains the same amount of carbon dioxide that it had at emergence from the source.

Spring Water: Bottled water derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface of the earth. Spring water must be collected only at the spring or through a borehole tapping the underground formation finding the spring.

Well Water: Bottled water from a hole bored drilled or otherwise constructed in the ground, which taps the water of an aquifer.

GROWTH IN BOTTLE WATER INDUSTRIES: It was in 1967 that BISLERI set up a bottling plant for manufacturing and marketing its mineral water, which failed badly.

In 1968-69 the brand BISLERI was sold to the Parle group by the Italian company, Parle group launched BISLERI soda and mineral water, but again the concept failed as the Indian customer was not ready to buy water in bottled form.

The market remained dormant for the next two decades (i.e. from 1970 to 1990) the market throughout this period was formed mainly by the premium segment like five- star hotels.

In the early 1990s was the onset of liberalization policy, and sell-off of major soft drinks brands, BISLERI was compelled to test the waters again.

Today the demand of bottled water is increasing at a much higher rate that of carbonated soft drinks. The market size of bottled water too is expected to surpass the size of soft drinks market in near future. HLL, which too has identified the bottled water as a growth area of future, is presently looking or some suitable brand for acquisition. Britannia too evinced some initial interest in the market but now seems to have postponed its plans. The existing players too are set to expand their distribution network to have their presence across the country.

The market is also expected to undergo a major consolidation phase. As one of the major factors that are important for success in the market is the distribution network, the players with deep pockets are expected to go for acquisition of existing small regional players to spread their network across the country. Already Coke has tied up with Yes for manufacturing of its brands in areas where it doesnt have presence.

Though Coke and Pepsi have both, well established distribution network as well as bottling & manufacturing plants, they seems to be at advantage but players like HLL and Nestle with strong financial muscle can easily turn the tables in their favor through acquisition route.

The following table shows the growth in the package drinking water industry

YearGrowth rate

1996-973-4 %

1997-0010 %

2000-0250 %

2002-0470 %

2004-0990%

INTRODUCTION OF BISLERIIn 1967, Bisleri an Italian company, started by Signor Felice Bisleri, first brought the idea of selling bottled water in India. It started a company called Bisleri India. In 1969, Ramesh Chauhan, the Chairman of Parle Exports, bought over the brand. In those days, Bisleri packaged drinking water was available in glass bottles.

Being a returnable package owing to various other problems such as breakage and weight, in 1972-73, Bisleri was made available in PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) bottles. After this plastic packaging was introduced, things started to change, and sales increased rapidly.

The upsurge in the sales of Bisleri started in 1993 as Ramesh Chauhan sold off the Parle stable of brands, including Thums Up, Limca and Gold Spot. Recognising the potential of the packaged drinking water market, he then went on to concentrate on making Bisleri a top selling brand in India.Marketing and Brands Blog

Bisleri a brand name synonymous to mineral water in India. It has approximately 60% market share in packaged drinking water in country. Brand is owned by Parle Company, which bought over Bisleri in 1969 from Italian company. Initially, Bisleri faced the problems of acceptance from consumers. It was difficult to advertise for a company something as a bottled water, which is colourless, tasteless and odourless. In mid eighties company changed its packaging to PET bottles which shows transparency and clear water to consumers. This gave mineral water market a boost.

In India, water is scarce and quality is poor so initially the consumers were only foreigners and NRIs. Therefore, to increase its customers base, company came up with comfortable and affordable price bottle which was a great success and showed 400% growth.

India bottled water market is appox is worth Rs 1,000-1,200 crore (Rs 10-12billion). Seeing this growth over the years, many new players have entered the market. Amongst them Kinely from Coke, Aquafine from Pepsi, kingfisher and now Himalayan from Tata are main players of industry. There are many ups and down in last couple of years but brand recall of Bisleri is amazing which helped company. In order to differentiate form other players company tries to come up with different and new campaigns on regular intervals

THE JOURNEY TILL NOW1969: Buys Bisleri bottled water from an Italian company, Felice Bisleri. It was bottled in glass bottles then.

Early-1980s: Shifts to PVC bottles. Sales surge

Mid-1980s: Switches to PET bottles, which meant more transparency and life for water.

1993: Sells carbonated drink brands like Thums Up, Gold Spot and Limca to Coca-Cola for Rs 400 crore.

1995: Bisleri launches a 500 ml bottle and sales shoot up by 400 per cent.

2000: Introduces the 20-litre container to bring prices down from Rs 10 a litre to Rs 2 a litre.

1998: Introduces a tamper-proof and tamper-evident seal.

2000: BIS cancels Bisleri's licence of a water bottling in Delhi [ Images ] since some of the bottles did not carry ISI label; the licence is restored one-and-a-half months later.

2002: Kinley overtakes Bisleri. The national retail stores audit by ORG-MARG show Kinley's marketshare at 35.1 per cent compared to Bisleri's 34.4 per cent.

BISLERI TODAYBISLERI values its customers & therefore has developed 8 unique pack sizes to suit the need of every individual. We are present in 250ml cups, 250ml bottles, 500ml, 1L, 1.5L, 2L which are the non-returnable packs & 5L, 20L which are the returnable packs. Till date the Indian consumer has been offered BISLERI water, however in our effort to bring to you something refreshingly new, we have introduced BISLERI Natural Mountain Water - water brought to you from the foothills of the mountains situated in Himachal Pradesh. Hence our product range now comprises of two variants: BISLERI with added minerals & BISLERI Mountain water

It is capturing its market in India as well as other continents. BISLERI has been no 1 and is capturing Indian market by providing best quality over a period of long time. None of the water products in line are able to compete with BISLERI and thus BISLERI stand unique in the market.

Bisleris commitment is to offer every Indian pure & clean drinking water. BISLER water is put through multiple stages of purification, ozonised & finally packed for consumption. . Rigorous R&D & stringent quality controls has made BISLERI a market leader in the bottled water segment.

BISLERIS endeavor to maintain strict quality controls each unit purchases performs & caps only from approved vendors. BISLERI produces their own bottles in-house; & have recently procured the latest world class state of the art machineries that puts them at par with International standards. This has not only helped them improve packaging quality but has also reduced raw material wastage & doubled production capacity. You can be rest assured that you are drinking safe & pure water when you consume BISLERI. BISLERI is free of impurities & 100% safe. Enjoy the Sweet taste of Purity !

MANUFACTURING PROCESSBISLERI manufacturers its own products and has its own manufacturing unit which includes various machines, the whole manufacturing process is carried on by BISLERI at its plant. The whole manufacturing process is divided into different parts and it consists of different activities like water purification treatment, blowing of the bottles, filling of the bottles, packing of the bottles etc.

The manufacturing process of BISLERI is carried on in different parts:

Storing Of Water

The water is taken from the boring well and then is stored in huge tanks, BISLERI has 6 tanks of 50,000 litres each, and water is first taken from the boring well and stored in these tanks.TANKS IN WHICH WATER IS STORED

6 STAGES OF WATER TREATMENT PLANT:

1) OZONATION2) FILTERATION3) CARBON FILTERATION4) RESERVE OSMOSIS SYSTEM5) MICRO FILTERATION6) OZONE TREATMENT1. OZONATION:The process of ozonation ensures that the water remains free from bacteria, so that the water can have a longer life and the machine used for this process of ozonation is called ozonator.

2. FILTERATION: The process of filteration removes suspended particles from the water by sand filteration.

3. CARBON FILTERATION:

The stage of carbon filteration removes bad odour and colour from water and purifies it.

4. REVERSE OSMOSIS SYSTEM:

This stage of reserve osmosis system controls all the dissolves solid particles and it converts hard water into soft water.

5. MICRO FILTERATION:

Under this stage of micro filteration additional safety measures are taked to guarantee purity of water. In this stage addition of mineral magnesium sulphate and potassium bicarbonate is processed.

6. OZONE TREATMENT:

The ozone treatment increases the shelf life of water. To ensure mineral water is held safe free from contamination, ultraviolet treatment and ozonisation process is carried out. Ozone is unstable trivalent oxygen, a very powerful bactericide with no side effect, as it disintegrates into oxygen within couple of hours. Sterilization effect of ozonised water continues even after water is packaged, thereby ensuring safety of Mineral Water up to its final packing. To ensure high quality of packing materials, components like caps and bottles are manufactured in-house from resins of quality suppliers.Good Manufacturing Practices are stringently followed at all times. Processing is religiously monitored at every stage. Testing source water, processing parameters, BLOWING PROCESS:

A small tube like plastic which is known as PRE-FORM is blown with the help of a machine called SIDEL which has a temperature of about 80 to 90 degree Celsius, when this PRE-FORM is put into the SIDEL machine it is blown up by its heat and turns out into a bottle in a specific shape according to the mould plates available in the SIDEL machines which gives the bottles a specific shape

PRE-FORM

BLOWING PART

The small tube made from plastic known as PRE-FORM; initially was manufactured but due to hygienic reasons it was stopped and now it is got from outside and is out sourced. The SIDEL machine is only used for blowing the empty bottles. Even the caps of the bottles are outsourced as the manufacturing of the caps would involve a lot of time. So the SIDEL machine only helps in the blowing of the bottle according to mould plates available in it which give it a perfect shape and the PRE-FORM and the bottle caps are outsourced.

SIDEL

FILLING PART

Once the empty bottles are made and blown up the water is filled into it. The machine used for filling the water in the blown bottle is called Dynathronic. The speed of this Dynathronic machine is that in one minute 110 bottles can be filled.

There are 7 stages to the filling process; they are:1. The bottle is sterilized with air pressure

2. Then the bottle is filled with water

3. The bottle is sealed with a cap

4. Labeling of the bottle takes place

5. All mandatory information such as marking the batch number, manufacturing date, expiry date and MRP.

6. Inspection of the bottle such as checking, sealing, printing and filling.

7. Lastly the bottle is packed.

MARKETING MIXAccording to Philip kotler marketing mix is the mixture of controllable marketing variables that the firm uses to pursue the sought level of sales in the targeted market

In simple words marketing mix is the combination of four basic elements / ingredients under one head. The 4Ps ie Product, Place, Price, and Promotion.

PRODUCT

TYPES OF PRODUCTS BISLERI values their customers & therefore have developed 8 unique pack sizes to suit the need of every individual. They presently have 250ml cups, 250ml bottles, 500ml, 1L, 1.5L and 2L which are the non-returnable packs & 5L, 20L which are the returnable packs.

Products Produced by BISLERI

BISLERI with added Minerals BISLERI Mineral Water contains minerals such as magnesium sulphate and potassium bicarbonate which are essential minerals for healthy living. They not only maintain the pH balance of the body but also help in keeping you fit and energetic at all times.BISLERI MOUNTAIN WATER

BISLERI Natural Mountain emanates from a natural spring, located in Uttaranchal and Himachal nestled in the vast Shivalik Mountain ranges. Lauded as today's 'fountain of youth', BISLERI Natural Mountain Water resonates with the energy and vibrancy capable of taking you back to nature. BISLERI Natural Water is bottled in its two plants in Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh and is available in six different pack sizes of 250ml, 500ml, 1 litre, 1.5 litre, 2 litre and 5 litres.Himalayan Water The water that almost descends from the Gods:

The Himalayas, the abode of the Gods, where the earth meets the heavens and where in lies nature's untouched bounty. White glaciers, snow-capped mountains and a plethora of exotic herbs and other flora that have therapeutic properties. This is where you'll find a treasure trove of hidden natural spring water that flows through natural purifying filters, mineral rich rocks and herbs from which it absorbs many healing properties. We bottle this pristine spring water directly at source, at the foothills of the Himalayas.And now the customers, will get every drop of purity, right here, in this bottle. BISLERI Mountain Water is available in 500ml. bottles & 1 litre bottles.

DESIGNCREATIVITY:BISLERI has a separate creative department which promotes the different sizes of the bottles. They have introduced new mountain water which is in hexagon shaped bottle and is a new up gradation done by them. This helps in attracting new customers and creates a new sensation in the market. Also 2 years ago a new soda bottle was introduced which was named as BISLERI Fizzy bringing a huge demand among customers.Moreover, the creative department has an expansion scheme which was introduced in October 2008 which was a compact and ideal gift for the customer. This includes a 20litre bottle, 2 fridge bottles, 1.5 litre bottle and a 250 ml bottle with a fridge stand .This was experimented for a month and which resulted in the lot of demand.

Value Engineering is redesigning the product already existing. The redesigning of the bottle has definitely taken place in BISLERI. Earlier they had a blue coloured bottle and then to bring in a different change, BISLERI decided to redesign the bottle to green colour.

Old Bottle New Bottle

LABELINGLabeling plays a very important role BISLERI takes good care about the labeling as it tries to create and come up with an exciting and attractive label as it will attract the customers; also labeling plays an important role as it gives a lot of information about the product ; like what are the contents of a bottle how is it made what does it consist etc. Also labeling gives a lot of information about the product ie the price of the product; manufacturing date; expiry date etc.

PRICEPrice plays as very important role as it is the only P which helps in getting revenue:

Firstly one can explain the factors which affect the pricing decision ie.

- Price is directly related to

1. Demand

2. Competition

3. Break-even Point.

CUSTOMER DELIGHTBISLERI is in the business to serve the customer. It deserves the best quality and presentation at a worth of the price. They have world class quality, at the lowest production & distribution cost. This makes them unbeatable leaders, and helps them in having satisfied loyal customers.BISLERI values its customers & therefore have developed 8 unique pack sizes to suit the need of every individual. At present they provide 250ml cups, 250ml bottles, 500ml, 1L, 1.5L, 2L which are the non-returnable packs & 5L, 20L which are the returnable packs. For the customers bisleri has come up with a new scheme called the REDUMTION scheme designed specially for the customers. In the Redumtion scheme BISLERI provides for Rs 300 a 20lt BISLERI bottle, 2 fridge bottles, a 1.5l bottle, a 250ml bottle and a fridge stand.

PLACE

BISLERI has a specific distribution channel which they follow:Distribution Channel

PROMOTIONPositioning

: Playing Safe

Target audience: : Health and hygiene conscious people

Personality

: Guardian, Authoritative, Reliable

Punch Line

: Play Safe

To keep your company humming with profitable work, its vital to advertise your services. Your company is going to require the maximum exposure you can afford. This constant exposure will alert potential customers who you are and where you are when they need a sign. By positioning YOUR name at their fingertips and even literally displaying it in front of their eyes, theyll call YOU for identification products and services.

There are all types of promotion. They range from direct mail, word of mouth, advertising in newspapers and telephone directories to radio and T.V. spots, cold calls and telemarketing. Whatever the medium, consider the cost. Advertising will usually is an expense that remains in your budget.

Bisleri follows different promotion strategies and uses different ways to promote their product like

ADVERTISEMENTSAdvertisements are paid and and electronic way of communication ie to convey the message to the customers, bisleri comes up with different and attractive advertisements on televisions and cinema halls to attract customers today advertisements really attract the customers and by looking at the attractive advertisement people buy the product more.

DIRECT MAILDirect mail is an avenue of promotion that targets a definite audience with a specific letter, brochure, or offer. Different potential customer groups have various needs that can be bulls-eyed with a distinct service or product. For instance, we can draft a personalized letter to hotels, gyms, canteens and a different message to offices. In hotels where consumption of water is more as compare to the office so we can give them additional discount and better services compare to the office. In the case of the office where we there is less consumption of water and less availability of space we can promote our 5-litre jar, 10 litres jar and 20 litre jars.

The brochure or letter should contain information about our product, which we want to target and which is different and better than other product. In case of bottled water we can differentiate our product than other through the quality of water, price, packaging, service that is very important.

In a country like India where religion and festival play an important role in ones life, we can send post cards or greeting cards to not only our own customer but also to the prospective customer.

CONSUMER HABITS AND PRACTICES Consumers are growing more health conscious and are more careful of their drinking habits.

Brand loyalty is very low as all the products taste the same so they can buy just any product which is on the shelf, same as that of soft drinks and fruit beverages.

Availability in the chilled form and brand awareness plays a crucial role in purchase decisions.

While there is no aversion to consumption of mineral water by any age group, this product is mainly consumed by the people in the age group of 20-35 years who have less attraction of soft drinks or other synthetic drinks whereas youngsters look in for soft drinks and fruit beverages to quench their thirst.

Visibility is another factor that should be taken care of by the companies as consumers are not very brand loyal and consume whatever is in front of them.

Consumers often drink bottled water as an alternative to tap water. They think it tastes better (no chlorine taste) and perceive it to be safer and of better quality. They also look for security: food scandals in industrialized countries and water-borne diseases in developing countries greatly influence consumers attitudes. Consumers buy bottled water to feel well and to lose weight. Bottled water is perceived as a healthy alternative to other beverages. Thus, for the aerated beverages bottled water offers a potential threat.

Moreover, increasing urbanization, causing declines in tap-water quality, can also explain the popularity. Because it is untreated, natural mineral water is perceived as natural by city dwellers looking for genuine products. Higher living standards and auto usage enable people to easily bring home more and heavier bottles of water. At the office, a bottle of water is now a common sight on the desk, next to the computer and the telephone. Drinking bottled water is a sign of a rise in the social scale. Above all, bottled water has become a huge marketing success.

STRENGTH

1. QUALITY STANDARD:-

Every bottle of BISLERI is put through a rigorous Multi stage purification processes which includes micron filtration and ozonisation.

It acquires 6 stages of purification processes which ensure quality water which is pure and safe for drinking purpose. Good manufacturing are the strength all the time processing in religiously monitored at every stage.

2. TRUST FOR BRAND:-

More than 50 lakhs people trust the BISLERI. They buy only BISLERI water because it has became generic name for mineral water. For example: - When people go to buy the mineral water many of them ask for BISLERI, even though they get other brand.

3. LARGE RANGE OF PRODUCTS:-

BISLERI offers a large range of products which attracts consumer of all categories. For example: - 1 litre or 500 ml pack is useful for individual buyers, 12 litres or 20 litres is useful for organization. Therefore it attracts large number of customer.

4. MARKETING:-

BISLERI is promoted by an aggressive print & TV. TV is backed by a Hoarding & point of sale material. Every interface with customer is used as an opportunity to reinforce. For example: - All vehicles used for supply have been painted in light green, bears the BISLERI logo & sport catchy baseline likes drink and drive.

5. DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. With little belief in the distributor system, the company leverage its large fleet of truck to supply bottled water directly to retailers through a system called Route Selling where the driver of truck is trained to be a service person. This ensures that water supplied is fresh and bottles are in good shape. BISLERI has more than 80,000 outlets in the country.

6. EXPERIENCE OF MR.CHAUHAN (M.D OF BISLERI)

From the vast experience of marketing Gold Spot and Thums Up, Mr. Chauhan knows that distribution plays a crucial role in the successful marketing of bottled drinks. He knows that making fresh water available within a particular period of time is crucial for its success. He is pursuing a multi- pack and multi- price strategy.

7. BULK SEGMENT IS USEFUL FOR HOUSEHOLDS ALSO:- Households in certain parts of the country spend a huge amount of money on fuel in order to purify the water. They are supposed to buy the impure water and then they have to spend money to purify it.

For instance the water scarce south people spend large some of money to buy water and still more to purify it. The 12 litre product is hit in various cities of south.

8. GROWING POPULARITY:-

The popularity of BISLERI is increasing rapidly day by day. People in the market when it comes to mineral water a person goes to any shop and asks for BISLERI as his/her first preference. BISLERI is seeing a growth of almost 50% per year. With the small pack being popular among individuals user its bulk pack is also generating the huge demand which is capturing the market for BISLERI. Today 60-70 % of total income of BISLERI comes from its bulk segment and the company is planning to increase it up to 80%.

9. THE BREAK AWAY SEAL:-

Keeping in mind the consumers need to recognize a genuine product that cannot be tempered with. The unique cap has been patented and cannot be duplicated. This technical strength ensures that the consumer will only get a high safe product when they will drink BISLERI.

WEAKNESS

1.METHOD ADOPTED FOR DISTRIBUTION:-

THE ROUTESELLING policy adopted by BISLERI for distribution is more expensive than more commonly followed method of appointing distributors in different towns. This reduces the profit of company. The dealer margin is reduced due to this .therefore not many dealer keeps BISLERI in many areas. Indirectly this is reducing the coverage of BISLERI.

2. REUSE OF BOTTLE BY LOCAL SELLERS AND ILLEGAL MANUFACTURERS:- Market research conducted by BISLERI revealed that the other overriding concern for this set of buyers is the tampering of seal and the reuse of bottles. Many have witnessed used bottles being refilled at railway stations. This deteriorates the brand image of BISLERI.

For example: - local sellers fill the bottle of BISLERI with impure water and the bottles are purchased by illiterate customers as BISLERI water but they buy water of low quality. In this way brand of BISLERI gets affected.

3. FAULTS IN PRODUCTION:- Tests conducted by various authorities shows that it contains pesticides. In 2002 the 2cm long insect was found in the bottle of BISLERI. This has affected its sales and reputation. The license of its two factories one at Noida and other at Bangalore has been cancelled because of fault in production.

4. PRESSURE BY GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY:-

After insect was found in the bottles, FDA (Food & Drug Adulteration) has cancelled the production of BISLERI. Afterwards it was allowed to resume it but in this period its customer were moved towards other products. It is constantly under check by various authorities.

5. NOT MEETING THE DEMAND OF THE CUSTOMER:-

In certain parts of south in our country big bottles of BISLERI are in huge demand but the company is unable to meet the demand of the consumers. This is affecting the demand for the product. So People are forced to use other brands of mineral water.

OPPORTUNITY

1. FAST GROWING FIELD:-

The best beverage for India in the new millennium seems to be water. In recent years, the bottled drinking water market has been witnessing high decibel level of activity, with a host of new entrants. The bottled water market which worth Rs. 1000 crore is expected to be Rs. 5000 crore by 2010. This will increase a lot of scope for bottled water market.

2. BISLERI CAN UTILISE ITS DISTRIBUTION CHAIN:- With BISLERI becoming a generic name for bottled drinking water. If company can manage the distribution chain of the product to make it available where the consumer needs it the most, the company may well succeed in his gamble with water. For this the company can connect it with dealers and other distributors who will market the products for them all around the world.

3. EXPANSION IN EUROPE:-

The launch of BISLERI in the European market on 4th September, 2003 has created a lot of scope for BISLERI in the field. This will also compensate the deterioration of image; BISLERI has suffered after insect was found in the bottle. It will silence the critics and it will also increase the faith of the customer for the brand. It will create an international brand image and the quality will increase.

4. LAUNCH OF PREMIUM PACK:- The company also has its premium product range. This is prepared keeping 5-star hotels and other premium customer. This pack will be sold at Rs. 20 per litre. This will give a tough competition to the EVIAN, the biggest player in the premium water range which sells its 1 litre water at a hefty of Rs.85 per litre.

5. CHANGE OF IMAGE:- The company has changed the colour of the product. It has changed from blue to green. By changing the colour, the company has provided a new product to the consumers; they will be getting a new and a refreshing product.

6.INCREASE IN PRODUCTION:- BISLERI is eyeing the Market and is in the process of increasing the production by setting 4 new plants adding to its 23plants. This will increase the production capacity of the company.

THREAT

1. MARKET IS EYED BY THE BIG PLAYERS:- The growth of the market indicates the need for the mineral water. Due to this the heavy weights are eyeing the market. Coke, Pepsi, Britannia, Nestle, Auswateris keen on raising their stakes in this market. With the cut throat competition between Coke and Pepsi, BISLERI is not safe.

2. ENTERING OF NEW PLAYERS:- To get some share in the market many new players are entering in the market. Among them major names are Godrej, which is launching its product AQUA-PURE and Tata-Tea is looking forward to but Himalayan, this will increase the competition. Also Britannia which is distributing EVIAN is planning to launch its own brand. There are also new entrants ATCO with BRILLIANT water, DS FOODS with CATCH are also coming. Even Hindustan lever is planning to enter into the market. This is give a tough competition to the current water brands including BISLERI.

3. WATER FILTER MANUFACTURERS:- BISLERI is not only getting competition from mineral water maker but is also facing a tough competition from various water filter manufacturers such as Eureka Forbes (Aqua guard). They have been marketing there purifiers in the market which has decreased the sales of bottled water supply to homely customers.

4. ILLEGAL MANUFACTURERS:- Company is facing a tough competition from illegal manufacturers in the rural areas. The illegal manufacturers provide water at a very cheaper rate then the branded manufacturers. There are 1000s of illegal manufacturers which are providing the water at a very cheaper rate. This is a serious problem for branded manufacturers. This companies also use the fake name of branded bottled water i.e. BISLERI and supply their products in the market.

5. STRONG DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL OF THE OTHER MANUFACTURERS:-

Analysts feel that BISLERIS break away seal will not at all be effective the company having strong distribution channel will only survive. This rings the warning bell for BISLERI because among other players Kinley and Aquafina are having a strong distribution network of Coke and Pepsi. Nestle will be banking on its chocolate distribution network. Even though the BISLERI has a strong networks but its concentration on bulk segment can lead to improper network.

For example: - A chemist who is selling the 1 litre pack may not sell the 20 litre pack. This could disturb the network.

6. NEW GOVERNMENT POLICY:- For preparing 1 litre of mineral water 3 litre of ground water is required. Government was not charging tax on the extraction of the ground water. Now by introducing the new policy government is going to impose tax on the extraction of the ground water, this will increase the production cost because of which the companies will be forced to increase the price which all consumers of all categories can not afford. The companies can compensate the high production cost by reducing their marketing expenses but this will keep the consumer unaware about the product. This is also effect the quality of the bottled water.MARKETING PRACTICES

Presently most of the players in the Indian market are selling their product claiming it to be mineral water. All the players are vying to grab a few points of market share and they are trying to get their brands endorsed by some or other authority. Recently Coca-Cola has got its brand, Kinley, endorsed by the Federation of Family Physicians Associations of India (FFPAI) to create an image of being recommended by doctors and thus of the product being safe and healthy. Similarly other companies to claim to have purified their water n number of times to show the superiority of their product. Many players are pitching their product against water purifier industry by claiming their product to be superior to that purified by these water purifiers. Many players are marketing on the price factor as well as the size factor. While others are focusing on particular target segment.

Overall different players are playing different tunes in order to establish their brands in the market

CONCLUSION

The important increase in India can be easily explained through the growth of the population and problems of water quality and water supplies. Until 1992, the demand for bottled water in India was mostly limited to foreign tourists, corporate meetings, conferences, etc. The introduction of bulk packaging extended the market to new and numerous consumers.

Bottled water is a particularly competitive market, hence companies need to develop diverse marketing strategies, such as accessing new markets by owning or developing partnership with regional brands, developing new products (such as flavored water) or by-products (such as cosmetics) and developing services (home and office delivery of water)

Today more and more companies are coming up in the package drinking water market as there is a lot of scope in bottle water market as seeing the increase in Indian population. Today the people of India are very hygienic and only prefer bottle water which increases in the scope of bottle water market.

By looking at the increasing demand of bottle water companies have to see that they use modern marketing strategies and also come up with trendy bottles and satisfy the wants of the consumer.

BIBLIOGRAPHYWhile working on this project I did a lot of surveys by asking people personally about the brand of package drinking water they prefer; as well as caring on survey by questionnaires.

Most of the project was made on the basis of Primary data.I personally visited the BISLERI plant at Western Express Highway Andheri East, visiting the plan was an experience of a life time I say the whole manufacturing process and how the water is purified and then packed. Most of the project was done by myself by my observation as I had visited the BISLERI plant an the certificate is attached above I personally visited the Marketing Manager of BISLERI where he told me about their marketing strategies and how they carried on their distribution and how BISLERI is able to maintain its standard at the top.

www.bisleri.comwww.managementcases.comwww.icri.comI referred a few news papers like economic times etc

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