Brands
Mulshi Springs all over GCC through Masafi
MUMBAI: Masafi, the beverage giant of the Middle-East Asia, has signed a deal with Mulshi Natural Spring Water to distribute the luxury brand in the entire GCC region.
The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf is known as the Gulf Cooperation Council. GCC, is a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf, except Iraq. Its member-states are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The Charter of the Gulf Cooperation Council was signed on 25 May 1981, formally establishing the institution of the GCC.
Mulshi is a gourmet natural spring water from India, which is fast gaining popularity in super luxury hotels, large corporate houses, the niche society and the film fraternity all over the world.
Masafi bottled water and Masafi Juices are the largest selling bottled water and juices in GCC countries and Iraq. The group is owned by Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair. Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, is the Chief Executive Officer of the publicly traded Mashreq Bank and billionaire. As of 2011, his net worth was estimated by Forbes to be $2.7 billion, making him the 420th richest person in the world.
Some of Mulshi’s valuable and loyal patrons include the super luxury hotels like the Ritz Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotel, Shangri-la, Conrad, Lake Palace – Udaipur, Umaid Bhavan Palace – Jodhpur, Falaknuma Palace – Hyderabad. In the luxury hotels segment, Mulshi is present at the Oberoi Hotels, Leela Hotels, Taj Group of Hotels, ITC Hotels, Westin Hotels, Park Hyatt Hotels, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Hotels, Courtyard by Marriott Group, J W Marriott Group, Novotel, Hilton Group, Four Point by Sheraton Hotels, Holiday Inn hotels, The Resort – Mumbai, Aman – New Delhi, Sun-n-Sand hotel, O Hotels, Radisson Blu hotels, Intercontinental hotels, Ramada group, along with 300 other stand-alone restaurants in the country.
Mulshi’s institutional clientele include Reliance ADAG Group, India Bulls, Gordrej Industries, Warburg Pincus and Bennett & Coleman to name a few.
According to Mulshi Springs director Naveen Luthra, “At conservative estimates, 3,00,000 bottles will be exported every month in the first year which works out to exports of US$ 3.6 million a year.”
Here is what some experts have to say about Mulshi water:
1. Gayot, a highly reputed fine wine and fine dine magazine in U.S.A. rates Mulshi as ‘One Of The Top Bottled Water Of The World’.
2. Fine Water is the Bible for the finest bottled waters across the world and lists the 100 top still and sparkling waters.
3. Water Quality Association, U.S.A. is the apex international water authority. For creating awareness of the quality of water one drinks, Water Quality Association has laid down parameters where anyone can easily find out the quality of the water. Mulshi Natural Spring Water rates as “Excellent Water” by these parameters.
Brands
After price hikes, FMCG bets on volume growth in FY27
Easing input costs and firmer rural demand set the stage for fatter margins in FY27
MUMBAI: India’s consumer giants are shifting gears. After a year of price-led gains, fast-moving consumer goods makers are betting that FY27 will belong to volumes.
With inflation ebbing and commodity costs softening, sector leaders expect growth to be driven less by price hikes and more by shoppers returning to baskets. In the December quarter, most large FMCG firms clocked mid- to high single-digit volume growth, signalling that demand is stirring after bouts of volatility.
Key inputs are turning benign. Edible oils, wheat, copra and surfactants have softened. Coconut oil and SLES prices are easing. Vegetable oil costs have cooled. Wheat flour dipped marginally in the third quarter of FY26. Copra prices, which had spiked abnormally, have corrected by 25 to 30 per cent. With GST rationalisation, higher MSPs and a healthy crop season lending macro tailwinds, companies see a constructive backdrop for both urban and rural markets.
Price hikes have largely been taken earlier in the fiscal year. Now the playbook is different. Companies are weighing selective consumer offers, higher grammage and calibrated discounts to pass on some of the input cost relief, even as they remain watchful of rollover impacts from past increases.
Rural India continues to outpace cities. Urban demand has improved sequentially, but the countryside remains the steadier engine of growth.
At Dabur India, Mohit Malhotra, chief executive, sees next year’s expansion tilting decisively towards volume rather than pricing, though residual price effects from September hikes may linger.
Marico is banking on moderating inflation and improved affordability to drive a gradual recovery in consumption. Saugata Gupta, managing director and chief executive, expects operating profit growth to strengthen as input pressures subside. The maker of Saffola, Parachute and Livon aims to sustain volume momentum even as pricing growth moderates.
At Britannia Industries, margins are described as healthy, supported by stable commodity prices. Rakshit hargave, managing director and chief executive, points to wheat trends and seasonal dynamics in February and March as crucial indicators, but sees stability for now.
Hindustan Unilever reports a steady improvement in the operating environment and underlying demand. Priya Nair, chief executive and managing director, flags rising consumer confidence, backed by the RBI’s consumer survey, as a sign that willingness to spend is reviving. Niranjan gupta, chief financial officer, expects FY27 to outpace FY26 on the back of sustained recovery.
Godrej Consumer Products remains confident of high single-digit consolidated revenue growth. Sudhir Sitapati, managing director and chief executive, expects the India business to deliver continued growth while maintaining normative EBITDA margins. Internationally, the GAUM cluster spanning Africa, the United States and the Middle East is tipped to post double-digit revenue and profit growth, even as temporary macro and pricing pressures in Indonesia and Latin America weigh on full-year EBITDA expansion. The company expects a robust exit trajectory into FY27, with momentum carrying through the fourth quarter of FY26.
The direction of travel is clear. With costs cooling, confidence firming and rural demand holding steady, India’s consumer heavyweights are done leaning on price tags. The next leg will be fought on volumes, velocity and who can fill more baskets, faster.
Note: Certain inputs are based on reporting by The Economic Times.
