Coca-Cola India has reported a strong start to 2025, driven by a combination of large-scale religious festivities and focused market expansion. The company recorded double-digit volume growth in the country during the first quarter, with the Maha Kumbh Mela emerging as a key growth engine.
In what it called a historic activation, Coca-Cola deployed hundreds of refreshment zones, 1,400 mobile stations, and a record-breaking 100 cooler-door wall at the Maha Kumbh. These efforts led to over 180 million servings being consumed during the gathering, a significant milestone in the company’s India strategy.
“Our system intensified integrated marketing like never before, creating a massive brand presence at one of the world’s largest gatherings,” the company stated in its Q1 earnings release.
Beyond the event, Coca-Cola’s flagship brand and the regional favorite Thums Up played a major role in boosting demand, helping to fuel overall volume growth. The company also expanded its retail footprint substantially, adding 350,000 outlets to increase its reach across India.
Despite global challenges, including a 2% decline in net revenue to $11.1 billion, India stood out as a bright spot. “We had strong volume growth across our portfolio of global and local brands,” said CEO James Quincey during the earnings call.
While the overall NARTD (non-alcoholic ready-to-drink) segment in India saw some decline, Coca-Cola’s focused strategy and high-impact activations helped the brand outperform the broader market.
