Introduction

Water is the most important necessity for life. The drinking -water needs for individuals vary depending on the climate, physical activity and the body culture. But for average consumers it is estimated to be about two to four litres per day. The growing number of cases of water borne diseases, increasing water pollution, increasing urbanization, increasing scarcity of pure and safe water etc. has made the bottled water business just like other consumer items. Scarcity of potable and wholesome water at rai lway stations, tourists spots, and role of tourism corp. etc. has also added to the growth. Almost all the major international and national brands water bottles are available in Indian market right from the malls to railway stations, bus stations, grocery stores and even at panwala's shop. Before few years bottle water. Was considered as the rich people's choice, but now it is penetrated even in rural areas. The growth and status of Indian Bottled Industry in comparison with Western or Asian market, India is far behind in terms of quantum, infrastructure, professionalism and standards implementation. The per capita consumption of mineral water in India is a mere 0.5 -liter compared to 111 litres in Europe and 45-liter in USA. Also As per UN study conducted in 122 countries, in connection with water quality, India's number was dismal 120. In comparison to global standards India's bottled water segment is largely unregulated. Former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has urged youngsters on July 17, 2010 to be aware of water conservation techniques to avoid grave water crisis in future."It is so sad that today, people are forced to buy water in plastic bottles. I am told that bottled water industry is worth nearly 10000 crore rupees and even big companies like the Coke and Pepsi are involved in this bottling of water and making money. So, it is imperative that we ought to save water," he added. Do not be surprise if today's bottles water industry becomes next Oil industry by 2025.

In India, water is scarce and quality is poor so initially the consumers were only foreigners and NRIs. Therefore, to increase its customers base, company came up with comfortable and affordable price bottle which was a great success and showed 400% growth. In case of food and water, whenever people are suspicious of the quality of product they dont eat unhygienic food and instead of having non purified water they prefer to stay thirsty. Bisleri itself seems to play on this need for safety, coining the popular tag-line Play it safe. The advertising helped differentiate the product from its competitors who, more or less, communicated nothing. Bisleris seal was also breakaway (hence irreplaceable), even though this manufacturing process of sealing seems to be slow and could clog up the assembly line. Mineral Water under the name 'Bisleri' was first introduced in Mumbai in glass bottles in two varieties - bu Mineral Water under the name 'Bisleri' was first introduced in Mumbai in glass bottles in two varieties - bubbly & still in 1965 by Bisleri Ltd., a company of Italian origin. This company was started by Signor Felice Bisleri who first brought the idea of selling bottled water in India. Bisleri mineral water contains minerals such as magnesium sulphate and potassium bicarbonate which are essential for healthy living. They not only maintain the pH balance of the body but also help in keeping you fit and energetic at all times.

History of Bisleri in India

Mineral bottled water in India under the name 'Bisleri' was firs t introduced in Mumbai by Bisleri Ltd., a company of Italian origin in 1965. Mineral bottled water were in glass bottles in two varieties - bubbly and still in 1965 This company was started by Signor Felice who first brought the idea of selling bottled water in India. Parle bought over Bisleri (India) Ltd. In 1969 and started bottling Mineral water in glass bottles under the brand name 'Bisleri'. Later Parle switched over to PVC non- returnable bottles and finally advanced to PET containers. Ramesh Chauhan, chairman, Parle Bisleri created a market out of pure water. Excerpts from a conversation with Prerna Raturi: Can I be honest? When we bought Bisleri mineral water from the Italian company, Felice Bisleri, in 1969 -- the company had been unable to market bottled water and wanted to exit the market -- we too did not see any potential for the product at that time. As a soft drinks company, we had Thums Up, Gold Spot and Limca (cola, orange drink and lemonade) but no soft drink company was complete wi thout a soda. So we merely used the name and launched Bisleri soda with two variants - carbonated and non-carbonated mineral water. But three decades ago, what could we say about a category that had no market? We didn't know our target group. Then, since bottled water is colourless, tasteless and odourless, it was not an easy product to advertise. Thus, the earlier brand building efforts focused on Bisleri being healthy with adequate minerals. The Italian name added a dash of class to it. The first print ad campaign captured the international essence and showed a butler with a bow tie, holding two bottles of Bisleri.The punch line was, "Bisleri is very very

extraordinary" (the spelling of the punch line was designed to capture the consumer's attention). The campaign was successful and we were being noticed as someone who catered to the need for safe, healthy drinking water. However, the real boost to mineral water came in the early -to-mid-1980s when we switched to PVC packaging and later to PET bottles. The PET packaging did not just ensure better transparency -- we could now show sparkling clear water to the consumers. It also meant better life for the water. Since 1995 Mr.Ramesh J.Chauhan has started expanding Bisleri operations substantially and the turnover has multiplied more than 20 times over a period of 10 years and the average growth rate has been around 40% over this period. Presently it has 8 plants and 11 franchisees all over India. Bisleri command a 60% market share of the organized market.

The journey till now

1969: Buys Bisleri bottled water from an Italian company, Felice Bisleri. It was bottled in glass bottles then. Early-1980s: Shifts to PVC bottles. Sales surge Mid-1980s: Switches to PET bottles, which meant more transparency and life for water. 1993: Sells carbonated drink brands like Thums Up, Gold Spot and Limca to Coca-Cola for Rs 400 crore. 1995: Bisleri launches a 500 ml bottle and sales shoot up by 400 per cent. 2000: Introduces the 20-litre container to bring prices down from Rs 10 a litre to Rs 2 a litre. 1998: Introduces a tamper-proof and tamper-evident seal.

2000: BIS cancels Bisleri's licence of a water bottling in Delhi [ Images ] since some of the bottles did not carry ISI label; the licence is restored one -and-a-half months later. 2002: Kinley overtakes Bisleri. The national retail stores audit by ORG -MARG show Kinley's marketshare at 35.1 per cent compared to Bisleri's 34.4 per cent.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES:1. 1ltr mineral water:1ltr Mineral Water under the name 'Bisleri' was first introduced in Mumbai in glass bottles in two varieties - bubbly & still in 1965 by Bisleri Ltd., a company of Italian origin. This company was started by Signor Felice Bisleri who first brought the idea of selling bottled water in India.

2. 1.5ltr mineral water:1.5ltr Mineral Water under the name 'Bisleri' was first introduced in Mumbai in glass bottles in two varieties - bubbly & still in 1965 by Bisleri Ltd., a company of Italian origin. This company was started by Signor Felice Bisleri who first brought the idea of selling bottled water in India.

3. 2ltr mineral water:2ltr Mineral Water under the name Bisleri was first introduced in Mumbai in glass bottles in two varieties bubbly & still in 1965 by Bisleri Ltd., a company of Italian origin. This company was started by Signor Felice Bisleri who first brought the idea of selling bottled water in India.

4. 20ltr Mineral Water:20ltr Mineral Water under the name Bisleri was first introduced in Mumbai in glass bottles in two varieties bubbly & still in 1965 by Bisleri Ltd., a company of Italian origin. This company was started by Signor Felice Bisleri who first brought the idea of selling bottled water in India.

5. 250 Ml Mineral Water:250 ml Mineral Water under the name Bisleri was first introduced in Mumbai in glass bottles in two varieties bubbly & still in 1965 by Bisleri Ltd., a company of Italian origin. This company was started by Signor Felice Bisleri who first brought the idea of selling bottled water in India.

6. 5ltr Mineral Water:5ltr Mineral Water under the name Bisleri was first introduced in Mumbai in glass bottles in two varieties bubbly & still in 1965 by Bisleri Ltd., a company of Italian origin. This company was started by Signor Felice Bisleri who first brought the ide a of selling bottled water in India.

7. 500 Ml Mineral Water:500 ml Mineral Water under the name Bisleri was first introduced in Mumbai in glass bottles in two varieties bubbly & still in 1965 by Bisleri Ltd., a company of Italian origin. This company was started by Signor Felice Bisleri who first brought the idea of selling bottled water in India.

8. Vedica Natural Mountain Water:Vedica Natural Mountain Water comes to you in all its untouched purity, right from its source. Gushing from an aquifer with intense pressure, the natural mountain water is pushed above the ground surface to a height of 5 meters above ground level, powerfully and consistently. The underground geological origin guarantees that there is no external Contamination, since the mouth of the water source is covered from rocks on all sides. Besides, being naturally fortified with silica, the spring is naturally free form any Microbial infection or pollution. Vedica Natural Mountain Water is also low on sodium, making it the perfect choic e for the health conscious. It has a high proportion of sulphates, which work as natural detoxifying agents. And its clear, sweet taste proves that it is free of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate salts, which give some mineral waters a chalky taste. Scientifically put, the Total Dissolved Solids in Vedica Natural Mountain Water is225mg/ltr. It is also high in sulphates, the natural detoxifying agents. Ensuring that all you get with Vedica Natural Mountain Water is the sweet taste of purity. Vedica Natural Mountain Water is available in 500 ml and 1 litre bottles

4 Ps of Marketing Mix:4ps of marketing is the base of marketing. The decisions in marketing namely depends on mix marketing .This concept give sense to the owner that in what way product can be produced in market. A manufacturer can capture the market by applying 4ps systemically. 4ps of marketing is as under: 1. Product 2. Price 3. Place (distribution) 4. Promotion There are two types of promotion1. advertising 2. sales promotion
3. 1 .Product:-Product is anything that is offered to satisfy needs and

wants of the customer. So that they can easily survive. 2. Price:-When ever company launches a product in the market they have to fix certain price according to the product so that customer buys the product economically. 3. Place (distribution):-Place is also called distribution. If a company launches a product in market it should be made available conveniently so that the consumer can easily buy it. If distribution is not proper in the market the product may fail. 4. Promotion:- Promotion is the mode of communicating with the customer. This is the area where people get to know about the product.

There are two types of promotion. 1. Advertising: In advertising the product is promoted by the means of advertisements such as TV adds newspapers etc. 2. Sales promotion: In sales promotion the product is promoted through sales such as discounts on products etc.

Marketing Mix used by Bisleri

The set of controllable tactical tools - product, price, promotion, and place (4 Ps), that the firm blends to produce the response it wants, in the target markets. The 4Ps
PRODUCT:-The main product of the company is the mineral water by the

name of Bisleri Mineral water. Other than mineral water the company has also the soda water under its brand name called the Bisleri Soda Water. The concept of bottled mineral water was introduced in India, first by Bisleri, and that is the reason, it has become a generic name for the mineral water. Bisleri has become a perfect synonym of the mineral water for the In dian consumers. The main challenge facing the company or any other player in this mineral water industry is that there is no scope of invention and innovation in the product, which can be added as the additional benefits of the product. It is just water after all. This is what the Indian customers think of the bottled water. If we are talking about a product like television we can think that the innovations could provide extra benefits derived from the product. For example other than its core usage the product can provide for Internet facilities using conversion.

PLACE:-Place stands for the company activities that make the product

available to the target customers. To make the product available to the target consumers a good distribution network has to be there to support the good quality of the product. Here in the case of the mineral water industry the distribution network is the important factor in being competitive and the catch lies in making water available to maximum number of places in the country.
PRICE:-Price is the sum of values that consumer exchange for the benefits of

having or using the product or service. Price is the only element in the marketing mix that produces revenue. All other elements represent costs. In India, where the majority of the population comprise of the middle -income group and lower income groups it is not hard to understand that pricing is one of the most important factor in the buying decisions. Bisleri has met the expectations of the consumers in terms of pricing the product and also making the product available in variations of litres, making Bisleri both convenient and affordable. The company is following a very aggressive pricing. Its product is available at a very reasonable price.
PROMOTION:-Modern marketing calls for more than just developing a good

product, pricing it attractively, and making it available to the target customers, companies must also communicate with their customers, and what they communicate should not be left to chance. A Companys total marketing communications program- called its Promotion Mix consists of specific blend of advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, and public relations tools that the company uses to pursue its advertising and marketing objectives.

MARKETING STRATEGY

It is complete and an unbeatable plan designed specifically for attaining the marketing objective of a firm. The marketing objective indicates what the firm want to achieve. The marketing strategy provides the design for achieving them the linkage between mar keting strategies and over all corporate success is indeed direct and vital.
FORMULATING THE MARKETING STRATEGY-

Formulating the marketing strategy consists of two main steps -

1- Selecting the target market-

It does not fully bring out the import of the i nseparable linkage between the two. When the selection of the target market is over an important part of the marketing strategy of the firm is already determined, defined and expressed.

2-Assembling the marketing mix-

Assembling the marketing mix means as sembling the four Ps of marketing in the right combination. The firm has to find out how it can generate the best sales and profit. It plans different marketing mixes with varying levels of expenditure on each element and tries to figure out the effective ness of each combination in terms of the possible sales and profit.

ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN:

While designing the advertisement campaign, it is necessary to keep in mind the opinion leaders. Youth are the opinion leaders of the present time. And thus it becomes necessary to design the campaign keeping the youth in mind. The

opinion leaders would further trickle down the message to the less active members of the society.

The following table shows the growth in the package drinking water industry:-

Year

Growth rate

1996-97 1997-00 2000-02 2002-04 2004-09

3-4 % 10 % 50 % 70 % 90%

In 1996-97 the sales of bisleri is 3-4% after that it increased to 10% in 1997-2000.Now-a-days it increases to 90% and it is in high demand. Many people prefers bisleri bottle as a safe drinking water. In 2004-09 it increases to 90%. Mostly, it prefer by middle class and higher class of people. But due to its cheaper rate it is affordable lower class group also.

Observations & suggestion

y Our industrial visit for Bisleri started by entering the gate of Bisleri

company situated at Andheri (E),

y The entire campaign of the Bisleri was in green color which shows the

environmental friendly color

y The entire campaign was built around the tamper proof seals. The

campaign focused on the safety provided by the "breakaway" seal, by illustrating the ease with which conventionally sealed bottles could be refilled and recycled.
y There was new design in the Bisleri products. The new design was

patented to prevent it from being copi ed by others. The new pack is trendy and has been well accepted by the consumers as we have experienced in the case of 500 ml and 5 liter sizes." The new pack also allowed better brand display. Vertical labeling was easier on flat sleeved packages. It made label information visible from all sides of the bottle.

y Consistent quality and taste are two of the principal differences between

bottled water and tap water it means that the bottled water are safer then the tap water.