Services India Market By industry Case Studies Trade Shows Insights News Company Download Materials

Bisleri International | The family business that became synonymous with "water"

2026.09.19

Article summary

Bisleri International, founded in 1969 and headquartered in Mumbai, is a packaged drinking water company. Originally an Italian-owned brand, it was acquired and built up by the Chauhan family. Its chairman is Ramesh Chauhan, vice chairperson Jayanti Chauhan, and CEO Angelo George. Revenue for FY2024 (year ended March 2024) was ₹2,689.69 crore (1 crore = 10 million rupees), up 14.8% year on year, with net profit of ₹316.95 crore. As the company is unlisted, this is the most recent full year of figures made public. It's said to hold about 30% of the organized packaged drinking water market. Because raw water quality differs by region, packaged water requires different treatment conditions at each plant, making it a business of producing and selling close to home. Lending refrigerated cases to retailers has helped secure shelf and floor space. A reported sale to Tata Consumer some years ago did not go through, and the company remains family-run.

This article is based on what we could verify As of September 19, 2026 This page is based on the disclosures and news reports from each company that we were able to confirm as of that date. Amounts in the text follow the notation commonly used in India, with ₹1 crore = 10 million rupees, and yen figures are approximations calculated at a little over 1.7 yen to the rupee. Store counts, funding raised, and results at Indian companies change over short periods, so when making a business decision, please check the latest information in primary sources such as each company's own announcements.

Bisleri is a brand used in India almost as a common noun for bottled water. It began as an Italian-owned brand, and the Chauhan family bought it in 1969 and built it into the present business. The family still runs it.

Company profile

Item	Details
Legal name	Bisleri International Private Limited
Founded	1969
Headquarters	Mumbai (Maharashtra)
Management	Ramesh Chauhan (chairman), Jayanti Chauhan (vice chairman), Angelo George (CEO)
Revenue	₹2,689.69 crore (FY2024, the year ended March 2024; up 14.8% year on year), net profit ₹316.95 crore. The company is unlisted, so this is the most recent full year disclosed
Market position	Put at around 30% of organized packaged drinking water
Listing	Unlisted

How water is made changes from place to place

Packaged drinking water depends on raw water quality that differs by region. Hardness, mineral content, and the type of contamination all vary by location, so treatment conditions have to change at each plant. Making the taste consistent nationwide requires a process that standardizes water quality after treatment.

Because of this, bottled water ends up being a business of producing and selling locally. Bisleri has plants and contract manufacturers across the country, treating each source of raw water appropriately before releasing it under the same brand.

Packaged drinking water is its core, but it has also expanded into carbonated drinks and premium water.

Shelf space is decided by the refrigerated case

Neither water nor soft drinks sell unless they're cold. Many Indian retailers can't afford to buy their own refrigerated cases, so it has become standard practice for beverage makers to lend them out for free. Whichever company's case is in a store determines which products end up on display there.

Bisleri built this foothold with water. The margin per bottle is small, but the volume placed in stores is large. Stores that have its case also make it easier to place its carbonated drinks.

The company is unlisted, so the most recent full year disclosed is FY2024 (the year ended March 2024), when revenue rose 14.8% year on year to ₹2,689.69 crore and net profit was ₹316.95 crore. A sale to Tata Consumer was reported a few years ago but did not go through, and the family continues to run the business.

Points for Japanese companies

When selling beverages in India, who has placed the refrigerated case directly determines how easily you can get shelf space. New entrants can't get their products into an existing maker's case, so the choice becomes either distributing your own cases or making a product that sells without one. Forgetting to budget for this cost leaves you with inventory but no shelf space.

Also, prices for packaged drinking water in India are fixed, and the per-liter benchmark hasn't moved in a long time. It's hard to differentiate on the water itself, so a Japanese company entering this market would need to create a different shelf category through mineral composition or packaging.