[Assam] From the Sentinel

[Alpana Sarangapani]

http://www.sentinelassam.com/ ---------------------------------------- B’desh drink ousts Coke, Pepsi in NE? GUWAHATI, Aug 9 (UNI): If Pepsi and Coke are having a tough time in the market following the CSE exposure, a little known fruit drink from Bangladesh has started doing brisk business in the North-east. In fact not one, but three such brands are doing brisk business since the past couple of days as the scare of Pepsi and Coke has swept through the North-east. Several fruit drinks from Bangladesh find their way legally to the north-eastern markets under the SAARC trade regime. Some of the main brands include Pran, Top and Starship which supply fruit drinks like mango, guava, lichi, orange and pineapple and the prices are as low as Rs 6 per 180 mililitre of can. Already they are quite popular but with Pepsi and Coke becoming untouchables, they are doing even better business. Demand of the leading Bangladesh brand in North-east market, Pran, has nearly doubled in the past two days for their relatively cheaper rate and natural flavour. All these products enter Indian market through Tripura and Meghalaya. "Pepsi and Coke are still being sold, but much less than last week and now Pran is doing well because it is much cheaper," said Sambhu Singh a wholeseller in the Fancy Bazaar market. Meanwhile, North-east is slowly reacting to the nation-wide panic following reports of ‘deadly cocktail of pesticide residues’ in Pepsi and Coke. Already Tripura and Assam have ordered independent testing of samples. However, in the markets of Manipur and Nagaland, foreign drinks smuggled from across Myanmar have always been giving Pepsi and Coke a run for their money.