Brands
Thirst for growth as TABP pours Rs 26 crore into Bharat’s beverage boom
MUMBAI: In a country where nimbu paani meets nostalgia and flavour fuels fortune, Coimbatore-based TABP Snacks and Beverages is bottling Bharat’s thirst, one sip at a time. The company, which turns beloved street-side drinks into hygienic, affordable, and ready-to-drink formats, has raised 3 million dollars (Rs 26 crore) in a fresh funding round led by LC Nueva, with participation from Entrust Family Office and investors Arun Mukherjee and Soumya Malani.
Founded in 2018 by engineer duo and husband-wife team Prabhu Gandhikumar and Brindha Vijayakumar, TABP has quietly brewed a niche for itself in the value beverage market. Think local favourites from rose milk to lemon soda but in standardised, safe, and scalable packaging. It’s a refreshing formula for an underserved consumer base often overlooked by mainstream FMCG giants.
“Our belief has always been simple, India’s beverage revolution won’t be led by metros alone,” says TABP co-founder and CEO Gandhikumar. “For millions in tier-2 towns and rural belts, there’s still a gap between taste, hygiene, and affordability. Our goal is to fill that gap with quality beverages that feel aspirational yet remain accessible.”
And the numbers suggest he’s onto something. From a modest Rs 4 crore in FY19, TABP has fizzed its way to Rs 212 crore in FY24–25, targeting a heady Rs 800 crore in the next three years before a planned pan-India expansion and eventual public listing.
The company plans to deploy the fresh funds to expand distribution across southern and eastern India, introduce new beverage formats, and boost manufacturing capacity. It’s a move aimed at tapping into India’s Rs 1.38 lakh crore non-alcoholic beverage market, a sector expected to swell to Rs 2.1 lakh crore by 2029, powered by affordability-led consumption and rising hygiene awareness among mass consumers.
While global giants continue to dominate the premium urban aisles, a vast swathe of small-town and rural beverage consumption remains unorganised, often sold at roadside stalls in unhygienic conditions. TABP’s mission? To bring structure, safety, and scale to this chaos. By reimagining hyper-local favourites as packaged, standardised products, the brand is doing for drinks what Amul did for milk and Lays did for snacks.
“Under Prabhu’s leadership, TABP has found a sweet spot between aspiration and accessibility,” said a Entrust Family Office partner. “Its differentiated flavour play and disciplined growth model show that innovation can thrive even in value segments.”
LC Nueva’s spokesperson echoed this sentiment, adding, “We’ve been early believers in TABP’s Bharat-first approach. Its growth proves that the next wave of consumption will be value-driven yet aspirational.”
Of course, not every sip is smooth. Climate-linked raw material volatility and rural distribution challenges continue to test the industry. But TABP is banking on regional familiarity, frugality, and a ground-up network to weather the heat.
For now, as the company scales up its operations and prepares to go national, TABP stands as a symbol of Bharat’s changing palate, one that values both taste and trust.
From steel tumblers to pet bottles, from roadside stalls to retail shelves, the message is clear: India’s thirst for affordable quality is here to stay and TABP just might be the one to quench it.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
