Now Reading: Pune’s 142-year-old soft drink Ardeshir’s predates Coca-Cola
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Pune’s 142-year-old soft drink Ardeshir’s predates Coca-Cola
Ardeshir's, a soft drink brand based in Pune, is 142 years old and predates Coca-Cola. Established in 1884 by Ardeshir Irani in the Camp area, the brand began producing soda water locally…
Ardeshir's, a soft drink brand based in Pune, is 142 years old and predates Coca-Cola. Established in 1884 by Ardeshir Irani in the Camp area, the brand began producing soda water locally to address supply challenges from Bombay. It later expanded to flavours including raspberry, lemon, orange, ginger, jal jeera, cola and ice-cream soda, sold in glass bottles and closely tied to Pune's Parsi food culture.
While Coca-Cola grew into a global brand through a vast bottling network and advertising, Ardeshir's remained a small, family-run operation focused on its local market. The brand is now run by the Irani family and is considered a surviving piece of India's commercial history, offering a taste of local heritage that global brands cannot replicate.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Ardeshir's longevity reflects a broader pattern: India had a vibrant local beverage industry long before multinationals arrived, with regional soda makers in Bombay, Calcutta and other cities. The key constraint for such brands is distribution: without access to national retail chains and cold-storage networks, they remain hyper-local. Ardeshir's survives on loyalty from Pune's older generation and nostalgia-driven demand. Whether it can pass to a fourth generation depends on whether the family can attract younger consumers without losing its artisan identity. A successor or a buyout offer in the next few years would be the signal to watch.
Source: businesstoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
