Community, Commerce and Refreshment: How Coca-Cola India is Enabling Vendors and Reaching Millions in Puri

The Wire

08-07-2025

NEW DELHI, July 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As Odisha welcomed millions of visitors for Ratha Yatra 2025, Coca-Cola India, in partnership with its bottling operations, ensured access to refreshment and hydration for those attending one of India's largest cultural festivals. The company's on-ground presence made chilled beverages easily accessible across Puri, while supporting the local economy.
To make this possible, the company ensured availability of beverages through a strong retail and distribution network across the city of Puri. Along with hydration points, kiosks and mobile units deployed across Puri, the company leveraged its expansive retail and bottling network to ensure economic empowerment for the local partners as well.
Aligned with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi's vision, this effort reflects Coca-Cola India's broader strategy to strengthen last-mile retail, enable economic opportunity at the grassroots level, and reinforce its presence during high-footfall cultural moments. The carts were managed by local vendors, including women entrepreneurs, creating direct income opportunities during the festival. By equipping retail outlets and prime hotspots with coolers, Coca-Cola India supported small businesses and ensured widespread access to chilled beverages throughout the celebrations.
Vinay Nair, Vice President, Franchise Operations, Developing Markets, Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia, said, "Our engagement in Puri reflects Coca-Cola India's focus on hydration with purpose. By enabling product availability at scale and creating livelihood opportunities for local vendors and women entrepreneurs, we are creating a positive socio-economic impact in the region. This has been possible through the strength of our bottling network, our distributor partners, retail customers and the unwavering commitment of our dedicated teams on ground." Prasanna Borah, Commercial Cluster Head, Odisha, AP, Telangana, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, said, "Coca-Cola's strategy of enabling local entrepreneurship is translating into tangible impact across Odisha. Through our strong retail reach and execution on-ground, we're not just delivering beverages, we're delivering opportunity, and growth. It is a model of execution that builds both commerce and community." Coca-Cola India continues to train and equip local vendors and women entrepreneurs to manage retail outlets through its Superpower Retailer programme, turning seasonal footfall into long-term economic stability.
Gayatri Senapati, a local retailer, said, "I've been selling Coca-Cola products for over 11 years. During Ratha Yatra, lots of people visit and everyone wants something cold. We stock up on Kinley, Thums Up, Sprite, Coca-Cola, and Minute Maid. Our display attracts people and makes us feel proud." Rajesh Kumar Rana, owner, Nrusingha Sweets shop in Puri, said, "We've been running this shop for over 25 years, and Coca-Cola has become a big part of our journey. With so many festivals, people come here throughout the year. Ours is a traditional sweet shop where we also keep chilled beverages like Coca-Cola, Sprite, Thums Up and water. Whatever visitors need, we make sure it's there." Ajay Shah, a local distributor, said, "We've been working with Coca-Cola since 2002. Back then, business was slow, but we knew it would pick up in the future, and it did. Today, we are going really strong. We run six trucks, and during festivals like Ratha Yatra, things really take off for us." Anchored in the company's business with purpose approach, Anandana (The Coca-Cola India Foundation) and Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB) had launched the PET Waste Clean-up Drive initiative to help manage plastic waste during the festival. As part of the Maidaan Saaf campaign, the effort led to reducing plastic litter with city-wide collection and public engagement, through beach cleanups, plog runs and awareness drives.
For further information, please visit www.maidaansaaf.com About Coca-Cola India Coca-Cola in India is one of the country's leading beverage companies, offering a range of high-quality and refreshing beverage options to consumers. The company, in line with its vision of 'Beverages For Life', offers a wide portfolio of products, which includes hydration, sports, sparkling, coffee, tea, nutrition, juice and dairy-based products. In India, its beverage range includes Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke, Thums Up, Thums Up XForce, Charged, Fanta, Limca, Sprite, Sprite Zero, Kinley Soda, Rim Zim, Maaza, Minute Maid range of juices and Honest Tea. The Company also offers hydration beverages including Limca GlucoCharge, Smartwater, Kinley, Kinley Copper, Dasani and Bonaqua packaged drinking water. Premium products constitute Schweppes' range and Smartwater. In addition, it offers a Costa Coffee range of tea and coffee. The Company is constantly transforming its portfolio, from reducing sugar in its drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. The Company, along with its owned bottling operations and franchise bottling partners has a strong network of close to 5 million retail outlets through which it refreshes millions of consumers across the country. It seeks to positively impact people's lives, communities and the planet through water and packaging initiatives, sustainable agriculture and emission reductions across its value chain.
Globally together with its bottling partners, The Coca-Cola Company employs more than 700,000 people, helping to bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.cocacolacompany.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
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