From school canteens in 1980s India to supermarket shelves in Dubai—Campa Cola is going global. The soft drink brand that once ruled Indian hearts during Coca-Cola and Pepsi’s absence is now making an international comeback, thanks to Mukesh Ambani and his retail powerhouse Reliance Industries.
Campa Cola Origin: Born Out of Exit
Campa Cola’s origin is rooted in one of India’s most dramatic corporate shake-ups. When the Indian government forced Coca-Cola out in the 1970s, Mohan Singh’s Pure Drinks Group, which had introduced Coke to India in 1949, launched its own cola brand in 1977. Campa Cola quickly became a national icon throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, until liberalisation brought the global giants back in the ‘90s—and pushed Campa into obscurity.
Ambani’s Cola Comeback
That changed in 2023. In classic Reliance style, Ambani revived Campa Cola with a price-war strategy—selling it at nearly half the cost of Coke and Pepsi. The result? A dramatic return. Within just 18 months, the brand clocked over ₹1,000 crore in revenue and carved out a double-digit market share in several Indian states.
But Ambani’s vision for Campa doesn’t end at home.
The Global Leap Begins
Reliance Consumer Products Ltd. has now launched Campa Cola in the Middle East, including the UAE, Oman, and Bahrain. Next stop: Nepal.
Here’s where the Wai Wai connection comes in. Campa’s Nepal expansion is being driven by a partnership with Chaudhary Group, the maker of Wai Wai noodles and one of Nepal’s largest conglomerates. The group will handle production and distribution, helping Campa Cola tap into a market that already embraces nostalgia and local pride.
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What’s Next in the Cola Wars?
If Campa Cola could hold its own against multinationals in India, its global journey is just getting started. With Ambani’s backing and strategic alliances in place, the Indian-origin cola brand might just become a global challenger.
Will this be the rise of India’s first global cola? That’s the fizzing question only time will answer.
