India’s ready-to-drink (RTD) non-alcoholic beverage market is expected to reach $40 billion by 2030, doubling from about $20 billion in 2025, marking a new growth stage, according to estimates by Redseer Strategy Consultants.
The growth is driven by a structural shift towards impulse and need-based consumption largely fuelled by the quick commerce channel, which is experiencing 100 per cent growth in the RTD category. India’s per capita consumption of ready-to-drink beverages is also significantly lower, offering huge headroom for growth.
The report also stated that consumers are shifting towards functional and better-for-you beverages. “Quick commerce is emerging as a disproportionate driver for packaged F&B, especially in categories where immediacy, convenience, and frequency intersect. The channel is expected to scale from about $4 billion today to about $25 billion by 2030, capturing a growing share of incremental demand. While seasonal factors like summer would only amplify demand, the underlying shift is structural and long-term, rooted in evolving consumer behaviour and access,” the report added.
Below global standards
The country’s per capita beverage consumption of non-alcoholic RTD beverages stands at just 15 to 20 litres, significantly lower than markets liks US, China and UK. This gap points to substantial headroom for growth, particularly in healthier packaged formats that combine convenience with evolving consumer preferences, Redseer noted.
Mrigank Gutgutia, Partner, Redseer, said, “What we are seeing is a fundamental shift in how consumers approach everyday consumption. Purchases are increasingly driven by immediate need rather than advance planning, and that’s where quick commerce becomes critical.”
“Beverages are a clear beneficiary of this shift. They are high-frequency, often impulse-driven, and in the long-drawn summer season of India, demand becomes even more pronounced and combined with low per capita consumption and a growing preference for healthier formats, this category is set up for sustained, long-term growth. Brands will need to rethink product innovation, pricing, and channel strategies to capture emerging demand across cohorts and micro-market,” he added.
Published on April 23, 2026