Reliance Consumer Products to Enter Bottled Iced Tea Market with Brew House Relaunch
Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (RCPL), the packaged consumer goods arm of Reliance Industries Ltd, is set to make a strategic entry into the bottled iced tea market this coming summer. The company plans to achieve this through the relaunch of the "Brew House" brand, according to three individuals closely associated with the development who spoke to Mint on the condition of anonymity.
Strategic Acquisition and Launch Timeline
The oil-to-retail conglomerate originally acquired the Brew House brand in 2024 for an undisclosed sum. Official records from the commerce ministry indicate that RCPL received approval for the brand on 23 July 2025. The relaunch is anticipated to occur within the next two months, as confirmed by multiple distributors. Although RCPL has not provided an immediate response to emailed inquiries from Mint, the sources indicate that the product will be available in small batches at Reliance Retail stores initially, with a broader rollout planned after finalizing the product, pricing, and strategy.
Product Details and Pricing Strategy
The iced teas will debut in two popular flavors: lemon and peach. They will be packaged in 200ml PET bottles with an entry price point of ₹20. Interestingly, the initial plan was to launch the product at ₹10 for the same bottle size. However, following the recent goods and services tax (GST) recast, the ready-to-drink segment now falls under the 40% GST bracket, prompting the company to adjust the price to ₹20. This pricing strategy positions Brew House competitively against existing players in the market.
Historical Context of Brew House
Brew House was originally launched in May 2017 by Siddhartha Jain under Positive Food Ventures Pvt. Ltd in Gurugram. It was positioned as a premium ready-to-drink iced tea brand, marketed as a healthier alternative to carbonated and sugar-heavy beverages. The brand distinguished itself through:
- Real, whole-leaf brewing processes
- Lower sugar content compared to competitors
- Absence of preservatives
Initially targeting urban, health-conscious consumers, Brew House built its distribution through cafes, hotels, restaurants, multiplexes, and airports before expanding into modern trade and online channels. Its portfolio included flavors like lemon and peach, sold in 300-350ml glass or premium PET bottles priced between ₹40 and ₹80. The Singapore-based Food Empire Group later acquired a majority stake to scale operations before RCPL's acquisition in 2024.
RCPL's Broader FMCG Ambitions
Beyond the Brew House relaunch, RCPL is actively evaluating the launch of other niche-category drinks. The company is working on several innovative concepts, including:
- Kombucha
- Prebiotic sodas
- Ayurvedic drinks
According to one of the sources, RCPL now possesses the focus and capability to establish a specialized route to market for these offerings. The larger ambition is to evolve into a full-scale fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company, spanning categories across home care, food, beverages, and snacks.
In a related move, RCPL acquired a majority stake in a joint venture with Naturedge Beverages Pvt. Ltd in August 2025. This Mumbai-based company is behind Shunya, a herbal functional drink that offers zero-sugar, zero-calorie beverages infused with Indian super-herbs such as ashwagandha, brahmi, khus, kokum, and green tea.
Expanding Beverage Portfolio
RCPL has significantly expanded its beverage portfolio to include a diverse range of products across mass and value segments. This portfolio encompasses:
- Carbonated soft drinks under the Campa brand
- Packaged drinking water
- Sodas and mixers
- Energy and sports drinks
- Traditional Indian refreshments like nimbu pani, fruit beverages, and milkshakes
The company also has a presence in packaged foods through brands such as SIL, which sells noodles and other staples.
The Niche Drinks Market in India
The ready-to-drink (RTD) iced tea category in India has historically been shaped by major multinational brands and legacy beverage players, yet it remains a relatively niche segment compared to carbonated drinks. Key developments include:
- Hindustan Unilever Ltd and PepsiCo introduced Lipton Ice Tea in the early 2000s through a joint venture, but the product was initially pulled back due to limited consumer readiness. It was later reintroduced in select markets in 2011 with PET bottle formats in flavors like lemon and green tea.
- Coca-Cola and Nestlé’s joint venture, Nestea, experimented with bottled lemon RTD iced tea in the early 2010s, initially available in 400ml packs at around ₹25, before scaling back the broader rollout to evaluate consumer feedback.
- Indian companies like Wagh Bakri have sold iced tea products, including peach-flavor premix packs retailing around ₹95-₹100 for 250gm sizes online, though these are often powder mixes rather than RTD bottles.
Currently, Lipton’s bottled RTD iced tea is available in 350ml packs online at roughly ₹60, while powdered iced tea mixes such as Nestea’s 400gm pouches are priced at ₹200-₹230. RCPL’s relaunch of Brew House at ₹20 for a 200ml PET bottle represents an aggressive pricing strategy that undercuts these legacy players.
Strategic Playbook and Market Analysis
RCPL appears to be employing a similar strategic playbook to its successful relaunch of Campa Cola. Campa, first introduced in the 1970s and marketed with the slogan "The Great Indian Taste," was a household name in the pre-liberalization era but faded in the 1990s after global giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo re-entered the market. Reliance acquired the brand from Pure Drinks Group in 2022 for around ₹22 crore and formally relaunched it in 2023 with variants such as Campa Cola, Campa Lemon, and Campa Orange, initially through its own retail channels and then nationwide.
According to Devangshu Dutta, founder of Third Eyesight and co-founder of PVC Partners, Reliance’s move into iced tea aligns with its broader FMCG and retail strategy of identifying categories with long-term growth potential. While iced tea remains a niche within India’s overall beverage market, Dutta notes that it is experiencing steady, organic growth. This growth is driven by:
- The rise of café culture
- Increased eating out trends
- Younger consumers' demand for non-alcoholic alternatives
Dutta emphasized that whether consumed as a standalone iced tea or used as part of a cocktail or concoction, the category is garnering increasing interest. Reliance’s key advantage lies in its distribution muscle and captive shelf space across its extensive retail network, enabling it to scale new products more effectively than smaller, standalone brands. He added that the entry of a large player like Reliance is likely to expand the overall market rather than intensify competition, as anything they place on those shelves with competitive pricing becomes an opportunity for growth.
In summary, RCPL’s relaunch of Brew House marks a significant step in its ambition to become a comprehensive FMCG player. By leveraging its acquisition, distribution strengths, and aggressive pricing, the company aims to capture a share of the growing ready-to-drink iced tea market in India, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape in the beverage industry.
