Brands
Bisleri makes a splash in MEA with thirst-quenching Apparel deal
MUMBAI: Water you waiting for, Middle East and Africa? Bisleri International has just uncapped a major partnership with Dubai-based Apparel Group, setting the stage for a regional beverage boom. The strategic alliance will see Bisleri’s much-loved portfolio ranging from its iconic packaged water to its fizzy favourites manufactured, marketed and distributed across MEA, starting with the UAE in 2025.
With a legacy that’s been hydrating India for over 50 years, Bisleri has long held the top spot in the country’s packaged water market. Its product range includes not just the flagship water bottle, but also the premium Vedica Himalayan spring water, and aerated offerings like Limonata, POP, Spyci Jeera, Rev, and Soda. Currently, it operates 128 manufacturing centres and reaches over 500,000 outlets in India alone plus it already has a UAE presence, having backed events like the Dubai Marathon.
“The Middle East and Africa markets represent significant opportunity for value creation,” said Bisleri International CEO Angelo George. “With a large Indian diaspora already familiar with our brands and Apparel Group’s consumer expertise in the region, the match is just right.”
Founded in 1996, the Apparel Group is no lightweight. The retail behemoth runs 85 plus brands and 2,300 plus stores across 14 countries, supported by a workforce of 25,000. Now, they’re ready to add hydration to their retail portfolio.
Apparel Group CEO Neeraj Teckchandani called the tie-up a “strategic milestone” that aligns with the Group’s ambition to diversify and scale. “We see this as a long-term, value-driven collaboration that redefines beverage retail in the region,” he added.
With fizzy ambitions and deep-pocketed partners, Bisleri’s Middle East expansion is anything but a drop in the ocean. It’s a sign that the Indian refreshment giant is thirsty for more and ready to bottle global growth.
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.
