Among the ten major industries that contributed BDT 1,071.77 crore in revenue under the NBR’s VAT system in FY 2020–21 is the beverage industry. It is a sector that is developing rapidly. And it took just ten years for revenue to rise from BDT 158.05 crore in FY 2009-10 to BDT 733.75 crore in FY 2019-20. Despite the fact that there is a plethora of drinks on the market with various branding, names, and flavors, all of them are owned by a small number of large conglomerates. Besides globally recognized brands, the beverage industry also benefits from the efforts of smaller local businesses as well. However, it’s interesting to note that two of the market leaders produce nearly all of the most popular drinks, effectively capturing the entire market and leaving little room for competition.
So, in this article, we will be discussing the most successful beverage companies in Bangladesh as well as the most popular drinks produced by those companies. Plus, you will get to find out which company manufactures your favorite drinks.
Coca-Cola Bangladesh Beverages Limited.
In 1893, “Coca-Cola” was officially registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Then, in 1941, the trademark for “Coke” received equal prominence in advertising with “Coca-Cola,” and in 1945, “Coke” was registered as a trademark. The drink has inspired imitators and created a whole classification of soft drinks: colas. The Coca-Cola Company produces concentrate, which is then sold to licensed Coca-Cola bottlers throughout the world.
Other than the variety of different Coca-Cola flavors and variants, Sprite, Fanta, and Powerade are also popular beverages that are produced by the company. Abdul Monem Ltd. (AML) is the only official bottler of Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta Orange, and Fanta Lemon in Bangladesh authorized by the Coca-Cola International headquarters located in Atlanta, USA. Through three bottling plants located in Dhaka, Comilla, and Chittagong and with a devoted distribution channel spread all around the country, AML has well established its strong and dominant presence in the beverage industry of Bangladesh.
PepsiCo
Pepsi is one of the largest beverage companies across the globe, with multiple popular brands under its umbrella. Currently, the company owns 23 brands with combined sales of over $1 billion as of January 20, 2021. PepsiCo has operations all around the world, and its products are distributed across more than 200 countries. Other than Pepsi itself, 7UP, Mountain Dew, Mirinda, Slice, etc., are some world-famous brands that are owned by PepsiCo.
It is one of the oldest brands in Bangladesh. The late Mia Amanullah, former executive director of Pepsi Cola Co. Bangladesh, introduced the brand in Dhaka in 1976. At first, Pepsi and 7UP were separate companies. However, in 1989, the companies merged and were named Pepsi Company Ltd. Bangladesh. Transcom Beverage Ltd (TBL) is the exclusive PepsiCo Franchisee for Bangladesh. TBL owns and operates several modern plants in Dhaka and Chittagong for bottling the renowned soft drink manufacturer’s beverages such as Pepsi, 7UP, Mirinda, Slice, Mountain Dew, Pepsi Diet, and 7UP Light.
Akij Food and Beverage Ltd.
Akij Food and Beverage Ltd. (AFBL) is one of the leading food and beverage companies in the country that manufactures a wide range of food and beverage products like carbonated beverages, fruit drinks, and other food products for both local and international markets. It started its journey in 2006 and currently has a powerful global presence as it exports products to 26 countries. AFBL manufactures a wide range of snacks and beverages.
Some popular beverage brands like Mojo, Clemon, Lemu, and Speed energy drink are the products of Akij Food And Beverage Ltd. Moreover, Frutika, Spa, Farm Fresh UHT Milk, and Wild Brew, are all made by AFBL. The company has a wide range of products of soft drinks, fruit drinks, energy drinks, malt drinks, drinking water, milk, and milk-based products. They have achieved many recognitions and certifications over the years. This includes winning the Best Brand Award 4 times. Moreover, national and international certificates like BSTI, HALAL, ISO, and HACCP proves the quality of the company’s products.
Pran Foods
PRAN (Programme for Rural Advancement Nationally) is the largest food and beverage company in Bangladesh and is admired by millions of people all over the world. PRAN was established in 1981 and in 1986, PRAN extended its operations by entering into agriculture through contract farming. In 1992, with its food processing plant in Ghorashal, PRAN further established its position in the industry.
Under PRAN foods, there are multiple brands of beverages. PRAN products are popular all over the country and some of them are also exported. While the clear refreshing lime drink PRAN UP is their main beverage brand, the presence of Power Energy Drink, Maxx Cola, Tango, Cheer Up, Drinko, Oscar, Braver, etc is also very prominent. They also have a popular freshwater brand, Pran Drinking Water, and a number of fruit juice brands too which includes Frooto.
Partex Beverage Limited (PBL)
Partex Beverage Limited (PBL) began its commercial operations in the year 1997 as the sole bottler of Royal Crown Cola Co. Besides different flavors such as RC Cola, RC Q Lemon, and RC Q Orange, they launched Upper 10. Although PBL started by bottling in traditional glass bottles, it soon started bottling all its beverage products in PET bottles. They were the pioneers of this kind of packaging in Bangladesh and hence captured a big slice of the beverage market.
PBL launched its drinking water brand MUM in the year 2001. This product instantly became the market leader in the water market, and still holds the highest market share to date. MUM has now become one of the most trusted brands in Bangladesh. Moreover, distribution is one of PBL’s greatest strengths; it has more than a hundred distributors around the country, serving more than 10 million outlets in rural and urban areas. PBL’s products have also started going beyond borders, and they plan to increase their footprint in the years to come.
Globe Soft Drink Ltd.
With a pharmaceutical background, Globe Soft Drink Ltd. was introduced into the beverage market in the year 2002. Uro was the first beverage brand from this company, which offered three assorted ranges of flavors: cola, lemon, and orange. This success inspired the company to introduce a new soda drink, Fizz Up, and mineral water, Alma, which also became very popular.
The company then introduced the energy drink, “Royal Tiger,” with innovation in taste and flavor. For its enviable taste and tonic effect, Tiger became the first-mover energy drink brand in the country. Another energy drink from Globe – Black Horse, has also become very popular among teenagers. Because of increased demand and a vast opportunity to export beverages, Globe set up one new production unit, AST Beverage Ltd., in 2006 at Naryangonj and started exports in 2007. Both the manufacturing plants use sophisticated and automated production lines of European origin and are designed to meet the international standard guidelines of HACCP for ISO, Intertek for Halal, and also other applicable guidelines to ensure the GMP norms in our products and processes.
Final Thoughts
Like the rest of the world, the people of Bangladesh also love soft drinks and other beverages. Hence, even though there are only a few beverage companies in the country, the market is not small by any means. Currently, the beverage industry is mostly dominated by Pepsi and Coca-Cola. However, things could change at any moment as all these beverage manufacturers are fighting tooth-and-nail to secure a place at the top spot.
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