If you thought the Cold War was intense, wait until you hear about the Indian Cola Wars. This is the story of how India booted out the world’s most famous soft drink, created a bunch of homegrown fizzy underdogs, watched them rise to glory, and then let the global giants back in only for everything to get chaotic, nostalgic, and weirdly patriotic.
It’s got everything: socialism, secret formulas, Bollywood endorsements, and the kind of brand loyalty you’d usually reserve for cricket teams or masala dosas.
The Early Days: Before the Bubble Burst
Before things went all red-tape and bureaucratic, India had Coca-Cola. They entered the Indian market in 1950 and quickly became a staple. But by the mid-1970s, things went flat. The Indian government, in all its socialist glory, decided foreign companies had to share at least 60% of their equity with Indian partners (and the secret recipe)
Coca-Cola, like any self-respecting capitalist juggernaut, said “lol, JOG ON,” and packed its bags in 1977.
That left a big fizzy vacuum.
Enter Campa Cola and the Desi Soda Brigade
Campa Cola saw its moment and cannonballed right into the empty bottle. Created by Pure Drinks Group, which had previously bottled Coke in India, Campa was marketed with the iconic slogan “The Great Indian Taste.” And you know what? People drank it up, quite iterally.
But Campa Cola wasn’t alone in the ring. The 1980s were a golden age of Indian colas. It was like the Bollywood of beverages. Here’s the lineup:
- Campa Cola – The poster child of swadeshi fizz.
- Thums Up – Bold, fizzy, and manly enough to punch you in the face. Created by Ramesh Chauhan of Parle.
- Double Seven – A government-backed attempt to create a state-owned soda. Predictably bland.
- Duke’s – Popular in Bombay, known more for its raspberry soda than cola.
- McDowell’s Crush – Technically more into orange and lemon, but still part of the desi soda boom.
- Rush, Torino, Double Cola – Obscure but real, cluttering up shelves like B-grade movie posters.
- Gold Spot, Limca, Citra – Okay, not colas, but worth a nod. These fizzy side characters made Indian soda shelves colourful as hell.
The Cola Renaissance: 1977 to 1991
This was when Indian colas got their swagger. Thums Up in particular became a beast. It wasn’t just a drink, it was a statement. Campa Cola was the friendly neighbourhood kid, but Thums Up was the angry biker who stole your girlfriend and then rode off into the sunset.
Adverts were full of action sequences, skydiving stunts, and men with moustaches drinking Thums Up like it was petrol. It dominated the market and built an emotional connection with a generation raised on Doordarshan and cricket commentary.
Meanwhile, Campa Cola began to fade, partly due to less aggressive marketing and partly because it just couldn’t keep up with Thums Up’s flavour bomb.
1991: Liberalisation and the Big Bad Wolves Come Back
Then came 1991. India liberalised its economy, rolled out the red carpet for multinationals, and Coca-Cola and Pepsi came rushing back in like divorced parents suddenly wanting to co-parent your beverage habits.
Coke returned in 1993 and immediately realised that Thums Up was still king of the hill. So they did what any insecure returning ex would do, they tried to eliminate the competition. Coca-Cola bought out Parle’s entire soft drink portfolio: Thums Up, Limca, Gold Spot, Citra, and Maaza. They killed Gold Spot. They tried to kill Thums Up too. Only problem? Indians wouldn’t and will not let the bastard die~
Thums Up Refuses to Die
Coke underestimated just how loyal Indians were to Thums Up. It didn’t just taste different, it tasted like rebellion. So after trying to sideline it, Coke had to do the awkward walk of shame and bring it back, and then eventually start marketing it again. Salman Khan was hired. Stunts were revived. Thums Up returned to the shelves like a phoenix in a leather jacket.
Meanwhile, Pepsi had entered the fray during the early 90s too, with one of the best-timed campaigns ever: the “Nothing Official About It” slogan during the 1996 cricket World Cup. They positioned themselves as the hip, young and alternative. Mostly though no one cares about Pepsi in India.
Modern Day Fizz Fights
So where are we now? The Indian soft drink market is estimated to be worth over ₹60,000 crore (around $7 billion). Here’s how things stand:
- Thums Up – Still the top-selling cola in India. Yes, even now. Coke owns it, but it tastes nothing like Coke. It’s punchier, spicier, and unapologetically desi.
- Coca-Cola – Big, bland, and boring. Still around.
- Pepsi – Huge but slightly declining. Still milks cricket and Bollywood.
- RC Cola – A recent early 200’s entrant, bit one that you will still see throughout the country, although much less so than other brands.
- Campa Cola – This one’s made a comeback. Reliance Retail bought the brand and relaunched it in 2023. There’s a Campa Cola, Campa Orange, and even Campa Lemon now. Whether this revival lasts is anyone’s guess, but it’s a big fat nostalgia trip if nothing else.
Cola Wars 2.0: The TikTok Generation
Today’s battlefield isn’t just TV ads and shopfronts, it’s social media. Influencers, YouTubers, and short-form videos are pushing cola loyalty in new directions. Thums Up is still marketed as rugged. Coke does sleek Gen-Z vibes. Pepsi swings between cricket and whatever the kids are watching this week. Campa Cola? Banking purely on nostalgia and Reliance’s distribution muscle.
But ask any 90s kid raised on Campa and Thums Up, and they’ll tell you that the cola wars had much more to do with pride than a mere Cola taste test.
Conclusion on The Indian Cola Wars
The Indian Cola Wars aren’t over. They’ve just shape-shifted. Thums Up continues to be a cultural icon, Campa Cola has returned from the dead, and global giants are still trying to outsmart homegrown loyalty. The battlefield may now be Instagram instead of billboards, but the stakes are just as high. Because in India, cola is not just a drink. It’s an identity. And with 1.2 billion people and counting, it is also big business…..