-KH News Desk (cbedit@imaws.org)
Rasna plans a sugar-smart, health-conscious, rural-urban regeneration approach by purchasing a fruit drink brand from Hershey’s.
With the purchase of the well-known mango drink brand, Jumpin, from Hershey’s India, Rasna Pvt. Ltd., the nation’s biggest producer of instant beverages, officially entered the ₹1,000 crore ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage market.
Although the deal’s exact value is unknown, independent assessments place Jumpin’s value at about ₹350 crore. Rasna’s larger goal to diversify into the rapidly expanding non-carbonated beverage market includes the acquisition.
Prior to its silent disappearance during the Covid-19 outbreak, Jumpin—India’s first tetra pack juice drink—was a household name and was first introduced by the Godrej Group. It was then run by Hershey’s India. Now that Rasna is in charge of the brand, it is being relaunched for a June 2025 relaunch, targeting younger consumers with a formulation that is higher in vitamins and health-conscious.
According to Rasna Group Chairman Piruz Khambatta, “We are cutting the sugar content by 50% without sacrificing taste.” He also mentioned that further developments involving proteins and milk-based additions are potentially possible.
Khambatta thinks Rasna has a competitive advantage because of Jumpin’s long-standing brand equity. “It is a valuable addition to our portfolio due to its strong consumer recall,” he stated, pointing to possible synergies in product development and distribution.
The fruit juice market in India, which is currently worth over ₹24,000 crore, is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.9% to reach ₹1,22,855 crore by 2033, according to IMARC Group.
Rasna has made the notable decision to forego launching an RTD line under its own name. It costs ₹10 for a powder drink that creates three glasses. One bottle of the product costs ₹20. The value is lost on customers—it’s like shelling out ₹130 for what feels like a ₹10 coffee,”Khambatta said. He argued for acquiring a stand-alone identity like Jumpin instead, citing previous failures by other firms attempting to transition from powder to bottled versions.
Tetra packs in 125 ml, 200 ml, and 1 L sizes as well as PET bottles in 250 ml, 600 ml, and 1.2 L sizes will be available for the resurrected Jumpin’s introduction. Lemon, guava, mango, and litchi are among the flavors.
Modern trade, e-commerce sites, and Rasna’s vast rural network of 1.6 million stores will all be used for distribution. While Khambatta’s strategic concentration is on tier-2 and tier-3 communities, the brand will also expand into metro areas. There are still harsh markets in this country. We will make a greater effort in smaller places where there is less competition, but we won’t ignore urban areas,” he stated.
Additionally, foreign markets are being monitored. Phased exports of Jumpin are being considered by Rasna, with local production options in important markets like the US and UK contingent on logistics and cost.
Rasna intends to take back Jumpin’s former leading position on Indian Railways when she returns home. However, airline partnerships are currently off the agenda. “I was offered a spot by Indigo, but I declined unless they would put our name on the main label,” Khambatta added, criticizing in-flight partnerships as costly and unfeasible. “That’s just a marketing ploy; there’s no money involved.”
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