With Quirky Taglines And Innovative Strategies, This Is How Bisleri Became Synonymous With Water In India

When people start copying you, you can be sure that you are getting successful in life! The story of water bottle company Bisleri is proof of that belief.

Right now Bisleri is the most popular water bottle brand across the country and due to the company¡¯s huge success, a lot of other companies have come up with copied water bottles in the market.

So, if you are going to buy a bottle of Bisleri, then you need to keep your eyes open because the bottle in your hand can be Belsri, Bilseri, Brislei or Bislaar instead of Bisleri. This is one of the reasons why Bisleri has framed its tagline this way:

¡®Har paani ki bottle Bisleri nahi hoti¡¯! (Not every bottle of water is Bisleri)

Bisleri copied water bottles | Twitter

When travelling, many of us have asked a shopkeeper ¡°Bhaiya, Ek Bisleri Dena¡± when all we wanted was a bottle of water. In fact, some of us would¡¯ve also possibly got another brand in return when asked for a Bisleri. But have you ever wondered, what went behind the success of Bisleri? A brand that holds a 60 per cent share in the water bottle industry and dared to be synonymous with water, what could be the reason for its success? We got you covered. Here¡¯s everything you need to know about Bisleri - one of the most popular brands for bottled water.

Beginning of Bisleri

Bisleri was founded by an Italian businessman, inventor and chemist- Signor Felice Bisleri. Bisleri was born on November 20, 1851, in Verolanuova. At first, Felice Bisleri developed Bisleri with the intention of an alcohol remedy that is made up of cinchona, herbs and iron salts.

Dr. Cesare Rossi | sothebys.com

Dr Rossi was a family doctor of Felice Bisleri and both were very close family friends. But after the demise of Felice Bisleri on September 17, 1921, Dr Rossi became the owner of the Bisleri company.

Man behind Bisleri in India

Dr. Rossi used to have a very close friend, who was also a lawyer by profession and a legal advisor for the Bisleri company. Rossi's friend son Khushroo Suntook was also a lawyer like his father and he played an important role in establishing a Bisleri in India.

Khushroo Suntook: The man behind Bisleri in India | laughingcolours

India had just become independent and the demand for new types of business was increasing in the country. In the meantime, Rossi's business mind had discovered a business idea. He thought that the water business could be very successful in the coming days. However, it's hard to believe because water availability during that time was very easy but many still struggled for clean and mineral water and hence Dr Rossi started working on his business plan at the root level and also took support from Khushroo Suntook.

Bisleri first water plant set up in Thane, Mumbai

Rossi's idea took off in 1965. This was the year when Khushroo Suntook established the first 'Bisleri Water Plant' in Thane, ??Mumbai. Although, Rossi and Suntook were declared mad because during that time selling water in India was nothing less than madness, but Rossi and Santook continued to start working on their plans and start producing the bottled water.

Bisleri India

During that time quality of drinking water in India's financial capital was very bad. The poor and middle class used to digest this water somehow, but it became very difficult for the rich family and foreign tourists who stayed in big hotels. In such a situation, this water was not less than any nectar for the affluent. This was the reason why Bisleri's owner Dr Rossi was completely sure about the success of the Bisleri water business.

Journey of Bisleri: From five-star hotels to the common people home

Bisleri entered the Indian market with Bisleri mineral water and Bisleri soda. In the early days of Bisleri in India, both products of Bisleri were limited only to the reach of the rich people and were available only in five-star hotels and expensive restaurants. And Rossi and Santook also knew that it would not be able to achieve success by keeping its products in a limited range, so the company gradually started taking its products to the common people.

Bisleri/Facebook

The news of Khushroo Suntook selling the Bisleri company spread like wildfire in the Indian business world and reached the 'Chauhan Brothers', the masterminds of 'Parle Company'. Just 4 years after the start of the Bisleri water plant in 1969, Ramesh Chauhan bought Bisleri for just Rs 4 lakh.

Parle gave life to Bisleri

Bisleri¡¯s thirst expansion happened after 1969, where Parle and Bisleri concurrently produced various products to the markets such as beverages, soft drinks and soda. The brand became renowned across India and proposed to expand its brand overseas. The company came up with a different concept of selling soda in two categories - Carbonated and non-carbonated mineral water, this spiked up the production of mineral water in India.

Bisleri became the life of public places

Over the years Bisleri has introduced a lot of products that have shaped the popularity of the brand and has multiplied its customer base. The company had also changed from blue colour bottle labels to its signature colour green in 2006 to stand out from its competitors.

Bisleri

Despite the increasing competition in the packaged drinking water industry, Bisleri holds the largest market share of 60 per cent. Even though Bisleri has diversified its products, it is widely known for its packaged drinking water. The company uses the 4P¡¯s of marketing to keep its consumers satisfied and also increase its customer base. The research team of Parle was constantly in search of how to make Bisleri accessible to the common people. Now most of us found the Bisleri's quality of drinking water in different public places across the country like railway stations, bus stations and roadside dhabas.

Bisleri/Facebook

Bisleri¡¯s products are affordable and offer more quantity with less cost. Bisleri uses a location-based pricing strategy. Bisleri¡¯s products sold in restaurants, theatres, etc are costlier compared to retail shops.

Bisleri's consumer-friendly marketing strategy

Bisleri has adopted several forms of promotional activities from advertising on television, print forms to personal selling and usage of billboards, posters and hoardings. The brand also has a complete website detailing its various products. The famous one-liner ¡®Biasleri is veri veri extraordinari¡¯ in Bisleri¡¯s first advertisement has captured the attention of a substantial number of consumers. The different campaigns Bisleri has initiated have given the brand a great deal of exposure. Notable campaigns include the ¡®one nation, one water¡¯ where labelling was done in different languages to connect with people from different regions; ¡®Har Pani ki bottle Bisleri Nahi¡¯ where they promote the idea that not all water is pure and hygienic like Bisleri.

Bisleri has conquered the Indian market with a huge product collection in terms of packaged drinking water for over two decades. Today, it not only dominates the Indian market but has also reached out overseas, with its 103 plants across India and neighbouring countries. The green-capped bottle is found in almost every store in India.

Bisleri ad | YT

With the idea that was once called madness, Bisleri has gained a 60 per cent stake in India's sealed water bottle industry. The market value of Bisleri in India in 2019 was $24 billion, it is believed that by 2023, the market value of Bisleri will be $60 billion.

Bisleri¡¯s growth from 1969 to 2021 is magnificent. The growing number of its customer base and the brand¡¯s ability to maintain its lead in the industry speaks for itself in terms of the success of the brand.