How to Start a Water Bottle Business in India?

Are you wondering how you could start a water bottle business in India? Well, it is a great idea to start a water bottle business. Due to the recent health awareness and conscious efforts of drinking clean water, the demand for water bottles has increased. But how to get started? This question is an obvious one and we have created this guide to help you get your answer.

Understanding the Water Bottle Business in India

The reason for opting for water bottles is the rising awareness of safe drinking water. People have taken this shift from tap water to water bottles to embrace a healthy lifestyle. With this, the demand for water bottles is increasing with every passing year. The market size of the Indian water bottle is valued at USD 6.77 billion in 2025. A market report says that it is expected to reach USD 12.56 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 13.17%.

In 2023, the market value of bottled water was USD 3792.39 Million. Clearly, this business has the potential to grow dramatically. With terribly rising water pollution seen in recent years, the risk of waterborne diseases are higher than ever. People are well aware about the diseases caused by consuming contaminated water. Access to clean drinking water is a basic need of life. Nowadays, people care more about their safety, health and convenience. While the tap water that we get in our homes is much cheaper, its quality is compromised. Therefore, there is no better way to keep yourself safe than drinking water from the water bottle.

The number of people buying water bottles for home use may be lesser but it has the potential to increase in the near future. The bottled water market is significantly common in the hospitality sector. This may include resorts, hotels, restaurants, catering, and event management. They are known as the primary consumers of the packaged water bottles. Bottled water is the part of their regular yet basic service they offer to their customers.

Market Overview: Trends, Growth, Opportunity

If you are planning to have your own water bottle business in India, it is good to say that it is an ideal opportunity. However, let’s not forget that starting a business may come with its own challenges. The fact is that you can learn to overcome the challenges while you run a successful business. But before you begin with selling packaged water, It is crucial to keep yourself updated with the market trends, its growth and the opportunity it brings for you.

• Market Trends: There are a few market trends that you must know before you dive into the business building process. People in India are getting more concerned about their health and hygienic drinking water. Since water purifiers hardly provide any minerals, water bottles are the best way to consume alkaline and mineral-rich water. The trend of flavored water and vitamin-infused water is gaining attention in the urban market.

  The idea of sustainable packaging can be an effective move to reduce plastic use. There are several top brands Bisleri and Clear who are contributing to the movement of recycling. Bisleri has come up with an initiative called “Bottles for Change” associated with the plastic recycling and its correct disposal.

  Brands are also actively following the trend of smaller packing size of water bottles to make it easy for people to carry the bottles. This is a sort of the marketing strategy used for consumers like travellers, students, tourists and office-going people. These bottles are usually very affordable and are focused to grab the attention of people from rural areas.

• Growth in the Market: The water bottles market has been experiencing an on-going exponential growth over the years. The per capita average of bottled water consumption is 24 litres, globally. The estimated number for India is 20 litres per person annually. This number is much less than other populated countries in the world. This gives a clear idea of what growth potential this business holds.

  If we look into the market distribution of the packaged water industry, the revenue-generating segment look like:
• 80% market share of packaged drinking water
• 10% of Mineral water
• 5% of flavored & functional water

• Key Opportunity: With the growing demand of packaged water bottles in the market, we see that there is an ideal opportunity to invest in this business. We see that there are big brands like Bisleri, Kinley, Aquafina, who are already dominating this industry. Then, how will you stand out? No need to be tense at this moment, you can simply target some specific cities, where your brand has the potential to grow. You can choose a competitive pricing and focus on bulk supply. Focus on health-conscious consumers in rural areas who are looking for safe drinking water. You must target the hotels, school, restaurants, offices, hospitals.

   

  Step by Step Process: A Complete Guide

  After you get a brief idea about how the market works and what trends are being followed, it's time for you to start with a business plan and its process. This complete guide is surely all you need to start your water bottle business in India.

• Business Plan: When entering an industry full of entrepreneurs and mindful business players, you need to have a very strong business plan. Develop a compelling business plan that outlines your marketing strategy, target audience, operational cost, initial investment, and financial projections. Make sure to closely analyse your competitors to understand the nuances of their pricing and distribution strategy. Accordingly, choose the locations that you think fit into your business strategy with access to water resources.
• Select a Business Model: Once you have a comprehensive business plan, you must choose an ideal business model to work on. The types of business model you can operate on are:
• Packaged Drinking Water: It is standard processed and purified water.
• Natural Mineral Water: Naturally sourced from underground reservoirs without using any chemicals.
• Flavored or Functional Water: It is usually intensified with natural flavors, vitamins and minerals.
• Investments: If you want to start small from the comfort of your home, the initial investment may cost around Rs. 5 lakhs. Talking about high or moderate investment, the estimations are:

7. Legal requirements: Depending on the type of your business, you may need to legally register your business and obtain a FSSAI license. A BIS certification is also needed for packaged drinking water. If you use borewell water, then you will require a Pollution Control & Groundwater clearance.

8. Choose a Location & Set Up the Plant: You can decide a convenient location where you would like to set up the plant. You must choose a location where roads are well-developed. It must also be around the industrial area.
9. Install Machinery & Filtration Systems: The most important step is to install a machinery and filtration system that you cannot have your business without. Some of the common filtration systems are:

• RO (Reverse Osmosis) & UV filtration
• Ozone disinfection
• Mineral addition (for packaged drinking water)

10. Develop Packaging: A packaging process may involve deciding the size of the bottle which includes 200ml, 500ml, 1L, 5L, 20L. Using an eco-friendly transparent bottle. Investing in a brand label to have a unique identity.
11. Marketing Strategy: A business is incomplete without a strong marketing plan. You can outline all the ways to sell your water bottle. It involves retailers, supermarkets, hotels, offices, and online platforms. You can leverage both traditional and digital marketing ways. Simply reaching out to hotels, offices, restaurants and hospitals for the bulk supply. Do not forget to promote your brand on social media channels.

Water bottle industry holds a solid potential for you to build a successful business. Investing in flavored water and vitamin-infused water for higher margin is a good idea to stand out in the market. This detailed and ultimate guide can help you with significant growth in this industry. So, are you ready to start your business with a well-planned strategy?

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