Parle Agro re-enters soft drinks segment with launch of Café Cuba

FMCG Company, Parle Agro takes a revolutionary leap in the food and beverage industry. The company had launched India’s first Coffee Rush – Café Cuba. With this launch, Parle Agro marks its re-entry into the Carbonated Soft Drinks (CSD) segment 20 years after the sell-off of its portfolio of iconic soft drink brands to Coca Cola like Thums Up, Limca, Gold Spot and Citra. 

A first-of-its-kind product in the market, Café Cuba is a bold new beverage. It is the smooth combination of the flavor of roasted coffee beans with strong carbonated fizz. It is an exciting new taste and is sure to live up to Parle Agro’s commitment of ‘Refreshing India’. With its launch, the company introduces an innovative category, ‘Coffee Rush’ into the CSD segment. And it raises the bar for innovation in its trademark style by adding a twist to an otherwise stagnated flavoured drinks market.

Making the announcement, Prakash Chauhan, Chairman and Managing Director, Parle Agro said, “We are excited to be creating a completely new category for the CSD segment and are proud to be the leaders when it comes to innovations and trends in this segment. Having been in the industry for nearly 30 years, Parle Agro has always believed in refreshing India with innovative products and refreshing the market with new categories. Throughout our journey, we have catered to the Indian consumer, offering innovative products with our deep rooted understanding of their preferences. The launch of Café Cuba is an extension of this belief. We have spent a great amount of time and effort in creating a product that India truly wants and we feel this is the best time for us to enter the market. Café Cuba is the dream project of Parle Agro and we are thrilled to offer it to our consumers.”

With the launch, Parle Agro aims to strengthen its market share by tapping new avenues for growth. Presently, the company has a turnover of Rs 2,000 crore. With their re-entry into the carbonated soft-drink (CSD) segment and the launch of Café Cuba, they aim to more than double that figure.

Nadia Chauhan, Joint Managing Director and Chief Marketing Officer, Parle Agro added, “Café Cuba is one of the proudest additions to Parle Agro’s portfolio of distinctive and new-age brands. While we have been the market leaders in the NCSD category for the last 30 years, this launch and our re-entry into the CSD category shall prove to be a new chapter for the company, further building our company portfolio. Large investments have been made for the infrastructure development and marketing spends in the launch of Café Cuba which will lead to the creation of an entirely new category in the beverage segment. This new category will not only strengthen our market share but also increase the carbonated beverage market pie, leading to more flavor options for consumers.”

Café Cuba primarily targets consumers of more evolved tastes. It was test launched recently across major metros, mini metros and top cities. The product is currently also being placed in towns and rural markets. In total, it is available in about 142 markets across India. The product is already present in the general trade/retail segment, and will soon also be visible in modern trade outlets, corporate and college canteens, multiplexes, airports, bars, clubs and restaurants. It is currently available in 250 ml cans priced at Rs 20. The SKU and price point are strategized to encourage maximum trials for the product.