Partha Biswas, President & Head – RTD Business, Tata Consumer Products

Tata Consumer Products (TCPL) is betting on hydration-led beverages, including functional, flavoured and value-added water, to drive the next phase of growth in India’s ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages market.

Partha Biswas, President and Head of RTD Business at TCPL, said the company has identified three priority segments for future expansion: hydration, RTD tea and coffee, and healthy energy drinks.

“We believe hydration is going to lead the expansion of the RTD category in India over the next decade,” Biswas told businessline.

The company sees opportunities beyond packaged drinking water, including flavoured, sparkling, protein, and vitamin-enriched beverages. While these categories remain nascent in India, Biswas said consumer demand for wellness-oriented products is growing rapidly.

“The next wave of hydration will be water with benefits. Globally, these are large and profitable categories, and we see similar potential emerging in India,” he said.

The focus comes as India’s RTD market undergoes a shift driven by changing consumer preferences following the pandemic. Health and wellness, premiumisation with purpose and omnichannel shopping have emerged as key trends shaping demand, according to Biswas.

TCPL’s RTD business has witnessed a fourfold increase in revenue over the last five to six years, aided by category expansion, new product launches, and distribution growth.

Beyond hydration, the company is expanding its RTD tea and coffee portfolio under brands such as Tata Tea and Tata Coffee. It is also building a healthy energy beverage portfolio centred on glucose- and electrolyte-based formulations.

While quick commerce has become an important route for discovery and premium beverage launches, its contribution to the overall RTD business remains in the single digits. However, Biswas noted that emerging categories are seeing disproportionate traction online. For instance, nearly two-thirds of sales of the recently launched Tetley Kombucha Zero currently come from quick commerce and e-commerce channels.

The company is also witnessing growing acceptance of premium beverages beyond metropolitan markets. Products such as Himalayan natural mineral water and Tata Life Alkaline water are seeing demand from tier-II and tier-III cities, indicating that premium beverage consumption is no longer restricted to urban centres.

Biswas added that India’s low per-capita RTD consumption, compared with several global markets, leaves significant headroom for long-term growth.

Published on June 14, 2026