Asahi, the Japanese food and beverage company, has announced a business alliance agreement with India-based non-alcohol beverage manufacturer Varun Beverages to introduce its Calpis brand into the Indian market. Starting in the second half of 2026 or thereafter, a ready-to-drink, non-alcohol and non-carbonated dairy-based product under the Calpis name will be launched in India with two flavour offerings: Original and Mango. The move marks the group’s first entry into India’s non-alcohol and non-carbonated beverage market.
Under the agreement, Asahi will handle product development and technical support, while its local subsidiary will oversee marketing and brand management. Varun Beverages, the second-largest franchisee of PepsiCo outside the USA, will manage manufacturing, distribution and sales, leveraging its 53 production facilities and nationwide network.
Atsushi Katsuki, Asahi Group president and CEO commented: “India is one of the world’s most dynamic and promising beverage markets, and we are pleased to partner with Varun Beverages […] We are confident that by bringing together the strengths of Asahi Group and Varun Beverages, we can create new value in the Indian market”.
Source: Asahi
