Starting in the second half of 2026, a ready-to-drink, non-alcohol/non-carbonated dairy based product will be launched under the name CALPIS, with two flavor offerings - original and mango. This marks Asahi Group's first entry into India's non-alcohol/non-carbonated beverage market.

Under this alliance, Asahi Group Holdings will be responsible for product development and providing technical support for the production of CALPIS-branded beverages, while its local subsidiary will oversee marketing and brand management. Varun Beverages will handle manufacturing, distribution and sales.

This alliance enables Asahi Group to focus on product development and marketing in India, while Varun Beverages adds a product with unique value to its portfolio'creating a partnership expected to deliver mutual benefits.

India is an extremely promising market for non-alcohol beverages. The market has grown remarkably, expanding by approximately 2.3 times in volume over the past decade through 2025.

The market is expected to offer numerous growth opportunities, driven by factors such as population growth, the expansion of the wealthy middle-class, and rising health-consciousness among consumers.

Varun Jaipuria, executive vice chairman at Varun Beverages Limited, said: 'We are honored to partner with Asahi Group, one of the world's leading beverage companies, renowned for its iconic brands and deep understanding of consumer preferences across markets.

CALPIS is a brand with over a hundred years of heritage and consumer trust, and we are excited to introduce it to India. This is a category we are committed to building at Varun Beverages and one in which we see significant long-term potential.

By combining Asahi's global expertise with Varun Beverages' manufacturing strength and extensive distribution network, we look forward to establishing CALPIS as one of the leading brands for Indian consumers.'

Varun Beverages is a key player in the beverage industry and one of the largest franchisees of PepsiCo in the world (outside the USA). As of this date, VBL has been granted franchises for various PepsiCo products across 26 states and 6 union territories in India. VBL has also been granted the franchise for various PepsiCo products for the territories of Nepal, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini & DRC and distribution rights for Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and Madagascar.

The company reported a 20.08% jump in consolidated net profit to Rs 872.35 crore in Q1 CY26 as compared with Rs 726.49 crore posted in Q1 CY25. Revenue from operations (excluding excise duty) surged 18.09% YoY to Rs 6,574.19 crore in Q1 CY26.

The scrip shed 0.56% to currently trade at Rs 541.10 on the BSE.

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