Campa Cola

Did You Know?

• Campa Cola's logo was heavily based on Coca-Cola's design.
• Campa Cola's slogan 'The Great Indian Taste' was an appeal to nationalism.
• In 2000–2001, Campa Cola's bottling plant and offices in Delhi were closed.

History

The Pure Drinks Group, led by Mohan Singh, introduced Campa Cola in the 1970s. This company had first brought Coca-Cola to India in 1949 and handled its entire production and sale until the 1970s, when the soft drink industry was taken over for Indian ownership. For about fifteen years, the Pure Drinks Group and Campa Beverages Pvt. Ltd. ruled the Indian soft drink market.

Campa Cola appeared when foreign brands were gone, and its logo closely copied Coca-Cola’s design. Its slogan played on national pride: “The Great Indian Taste.” The brand also released an orange drink called Campa Orange, with “Campa” printed on the bottles. In the 1980s, Campa Orange and Rush were the top orange sodas in India, with big bottling plants in Mumbai’s Worli area and in Delhi.

When foreign companies came back to the market in the 1990s, Campa Cola lost its popularity. Its Delhi bottling plant and offices shut down in 2000–2001. By 2009, a small amount was still being bottled in Haryana, but the drink was hard to find. In 2022, Reliance Industries bought Campa Cola for crores, and its retail arm, Reliance Retail Ventures, launched cola, orange, and lemon versions at some stores.

Current operations

In March 2023, Reliance Consumer Products, part of Reliance Retail Ventures, brought back the Campa brand. The relaunch started with Campa Cola, Campa Lemon, and Campa Orange in the fizzy drink category. Separately, Reliance Industries bought the Sosyo brand from Surat’s Hajoori family. Reliance Consumer Products took a 50 percent stake in Sosyo Hajoori Beverages, with the Hajoori family keeping the other half.