(Reuters) – India’s Reliance Consumer Products on Tuesday launched its home-grown cola brand, Campa Cola, in the United Arab Emirates, marking the brand’s first foray into the global market dominated by U.S. beverage giants PepsiCo and Coca-Cola.
The FMCG arm of Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Group said it has partnered with UAE-based food and beverage firm Agthia Group for the launch, but did not disclose any details of the deal, including the financial terms.
The deal marks Campa Cola’s first overseas expansion since its 2023 revival by Reliance Industries. It was a prominent brand in the 1970s and 1980s, but waned after PepsiCo and Coca-Cola entered India in 1991 and surged in popularity.
“We believe it (Campa) will strongly resonate with the significant Indian expatriate community in the UAE, and, local consumers alike,” Agthia CEO Alan Smith said.
Campa Cola’s entry into the rapidly growing soft drinks market in the UAE, which research firm Statista estimates to be around $1 billion, will put it in direct competition with Coca-Cola and Pepsi, and other local brands.
The Campa portfolio in UAE will initially include Campa Cola, Campa Lemon, Campa Orange and Cola Zero – the sugar-free version of the beverage – and will bear the original red and purple packaging, Reliance Consumer said.
(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
