Bisleri looking to enter Middle East countries

Bottled water major Bisleri International today said it is looking at entering Middle East countries as part of its strategy to expand its overseas presence. As part of the plan, the company said it will consider setting up more manufacturing facilities outside India. 

"We are working on getting into the Gulf countries. We are currently finding ways how we should get into those markets," Bisleri International Chairman Ramesh Chauhan told PTI, but did not give details such as the timeline and investment required for the project.

The company, which enjoys a majority share in the packaged drinking water segment in India, had earlier announced that it plans to enter Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

Chauhan, however, said the plan has been delayed due to constraints in manpower and the lack of right partners to get into overseas markets.

 "We have been trying to get into the international markets for sometime now, but it has not been too good because of not enough manpower," he said.

As part of its international expansion plan, the company said it will have to set up a manufacturing facility overseas, apart from looking for partnerships.

Chauhan declined to give further details on the plan. At present, the company exports its Bisleri packaged water to Singapore and Japan. As per the company's website, at present Bisleri has 17 owned plants, 33 co-packers and 11 franchisees in India.

"We are enjoying a growth of 20% year-on-year. India is a huge market, but we also find that there's big scope for us to grow in the international markets as well," he said.