Serving the nation for the last 51 years, Bisleri, one of India’s most trusted brands have become a generic name in the mineral water segment. Not many are aware that Bisleri has Italian origins. The company was started by Signor Felice Bisleri and was then acquired by Parle, founded by the late Mr Jayantilal Chauhan, in 1969. Mr Ramesh J. Chauhan, Chairman and Managing Director, Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd. saw the potential in the mineral water segment and started expanding its operations substantially. Today, Bisleri has a strong presence with 125 operational plants and a distribution network of 4,500 distributors across India. Bisleri, time and again stands true to its promise of providing safe, pure and healthy mineral water to consumers for the last 51 years. Recently, Bisleri has been recognized by The Economic Times as one of the most Iconic Brands of India’, for 2020. In this masterpiece, Mr Angelo George, the CEO of Bisleri International talks about a paradigm shift in consumer behaviour during the lockdown and how Bisleri overcame the challenges with a touch of innovation.
Challenges faced during the initial phase of the pandemic
The initial stage of the lockdown was quite challenging as processes related to operating permissions for factories, people and movement of finished goods were being put into place. It was a time that tested the resilience of our supply chain, distribution network and our ability to adapt and respond dynamically to constraints that were evolving almost daily.
We worked closely with all stakeholders to sustain production and distribution despite limitations regulated by the Government for the pandemic. In many states, the Government officials helped facilitate permissions considering that we were classified under essential services.
In spite of all the challenges, we assured safe mineral water to the consumers across all markets. Our sales team took collective action by taking appropriate safety measures and delivered Bisleri mineral water to the doorsteps of consumers.
The hygiene and safety norms at our manufacturing units were always in place. Our production and packaging are completely contactless and our mineral water goes through 10 Step Quality Process & 114 tests to ensure that every consumer receives the same pure, safe and healthy drinking water.
Amidst Covid-19 situation, we have added further safety procedures at our manufacturing facilities including ozone tunnels for disinfecting employees. All distribution vehicles are washed externally with soap & sprayed internally with IPA to sanitize after each trip. We have provided protective gear to delivery teams including Gloves, Masks and Sanitizers and have instituted processes to ensure safety for themselves and consumers and trade.
Also, the Bisleri Charitable Trust has been working with the Ozone Forum of India to treat patients with Ozone therapy. Our in-house doctors have been constantly inducing minor auto-haemotherapy – Vitamin supplements and Ozone therapy to our employees so that they have adequate immunity to operate fearlessly braving the pandemic.
Success Mantra
Think beyond the limits and lead the way with a purpose. If you want to go beyond limiting thoughts, you need to release yourself from the fear of the new and unfamiliar.
Touch of innovation – Bisleri at your Doorstep
The pandemic has changed the way consumers shop essential products. At Bisleri, we focus on building innovative techniques with evolving consumer needs in order to ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential products to the consumers. Bisleri announced its ecommerce launch www.shop.bisleri.com. We have shifted the focus on our digital platforms. Bisleri is now connecting consumers across digital platforms and also facilitating supplies even in locations with access restrictions.
We are strengthening our direct-to-consumer servicing capabilities where a consumer can easily access a range of Bisleri products and subscribe to get hassle-free uninterrupted supplies. The company’s e-commerce platform is a significant step that will further the company’s vision to provide safe and healthy mineral water and address constraints to access essential needs. Now placing any order for the shoppers is just a few clicks away. They can also avail of a 5 per cent discount by opting for subscriptions for weekly and monthly supplies. The products will be delivered by an authorized supplier following all the safety protocols. Our e-commerce platform accepts both online & COD payments. All the orders are delivered within 24 hours to the consumers.
A Vision for Future Bisleri
At Bisleri we are responsible and pragmatic about addressing the challenge of recycling plastic. Bisleri has launched an initiative called ‘Bottles for change across 7 cities. The program is about educating people that used plastic is valuable and can be recycled, and it can be directly sent to recycling plants rather than going into landfills.
Bottles for change program works with NGOs and housing societies educating people to clean and segregate plastic which is then collected by our agents from the doorsteps of consumers and take to the recycling plants. Most of them don’t know that recycled plastics are used for making shoes and T-shirts and many other useful products. The cleaner plastics get a better income for our associates and the operational profits are used to improve the lives of ragpickers.
Our vision is to spread this program to more cities in the country and get greater value from used plastic by preventing it from going into dump yards. We are working closely with Govt bodies and NGOs to enhance the scope of the program.
Embark into the world of Fizzy Fruit Drinks
Bisleri has introduced fizzy fruit drinks Limonata, Spyci and Fonzo. Fonzo is a bubbly mango drink that offers ‘mango ki mithas’ with ‘fizz ki masti’. Limonata, a limey minty cooler is a mixture of lime and mint that makes one feel refreshed instantly. Spyci is an amalgamation of masaledar Indian spices like clove, cinnamon and nutmeg with a fizzy madness.
Our fizzy fruit drinks will also be a great enabler in the upcoming spring and summer seasons, as they are carbonated but uniquely created with fruits, to be refreshing yet healthy at parties and celebrations. These drinks are a novel offering that appeals to the younger audience who are looking at a healthier alternative.
Entering a new category of health and hygiene
Bisleri has made its entry to a new segment by introducing “Hand Purifiers” in the market at the core of which lies our value of safety, purity and hygiene. This purifier has various refreshing fragrances like ‘Hello Sunshine’ with a citrus aroma, ‘By the Bay’ that gives you a fresh cologne and ‘Lovely’ with a floral element. The Hand Purifiers can be used on surfaces, hands and body. It can kill 99.99% of germs and bacteria and is available in pack sizes of 100 ml and 200 ml. One can flaunt this purifier as a personal lifestyle accessory due to its attractive packaging, ease of carrying and high mobility. The gel versions will soon be launched in the market.
