MAM
Citra to tingle taste buds again
MUMBAI: Coca-Cola India is in process to revive the clear-lime drink brand Citra in India and has already deployed it in its pilot run. The brand was among those, which were bought from Ramesh Chauhan by the company two decades ago.
Confirming the development to Indiantelevision.com Coca-Cola general manager – public affairs Kamal Sharma said, “We have launched the pilot of the drink in around 2000 outlets in Gujarat and depending on the feedback, we will launch the drink at other places.”
The pricing and brand identity of the relaunched Citra will also be decided after the feedback from the Gujarat pilot run. There are estimates that the drink may be priced around 20 per cent cheaper than existing lime-lemon drinks such as its own brands Sprite and Limca as well as PepsiCo‘s Mountain Dew and 7 Up.
Today, the fizzy drinks industry in the country stands at an estimated Rs 130 billion. When Coca-Cola re-entered India in 1993 it bought out all Parle brands except Bisleri from Chauhan.
While Citra and Gold Spot were discontinued in order to make room for Coca-Cola‘s global brands Sprite and Fanta, brands like Thums Up, Limca and Maaza were retained. In fact Thums Up was considered sidelined for a while, till Coca-Cola woke up to the potential of the Indian brand.
Reports suggest that India‘s per capita consumption of carbonated drinks is 11 litres a year as compared to 34 litres in China and 675 litres in Mexico. The lime-lemon category in India has been growing 16-17 per cent a year while colas are growing at about 11-12 per cent and orange drinks at 8-9 per cent.
Both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have been promoting their brands aggressively in this segment. While PepsiCo has Salman Khan as endorser for Mountain Dew and Sharman Joshi for 7 Up, Coca-Cola pushes clear-lime drink Sprite and cloudy lemon drink Limca on the irreverent and freshness platforms respectively.
Brands
Emami names Dhruv Aggarwal as chief growth officer
Former Bain partner steps in as FMCG firm sharpens growth playbook
MUMBAI: Emami Limited has appointed Dhruv Aggarwal as its chief growth officer, effective 25 March 2026, following the resignation of Giriraj Bagri.
Aggarwal joins the FMCG major from Bain & Company, where he most recently served as partner. With over two decades of experience across consulting and strategy, he brings a global perspective shaped by work across India, the US, the UK and Germany.
During his tenure at Bain, Aggarwal advised consumer, retail and media companies on large-scale transformations, business turnarounds and growth strategies. He was also closely involved with India’s startup ecosystem, guiding early-stage ventures on scaling and digital expansion, while supporting private equity and venture capital firms on investment decisions.
His earlier stints include a brief role at Barclays Capital and operational experience at Jindal Power, giving him a mix of financial and industry exposure.
Academically, Aggarwal holds an MBA from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and has also been associated with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as a PhD candidate and teaching assistant.
The appointment comes at a time when Emami Limited is looking to sharpen its growth strategy in a competitive consumer market. With a seasoned strategist now at the helm of growth, the company appears set to double down on transformation and expansion in the months ahead.
