Rajnigandha maker forays into powdered drinks, Rasna zone

DS Group, the Rs. 2,200 crore business conglomerate with footprint across diverse sectors that ranges from Rajnigandha pan masala to infrastructure, has set its eyes on the rapidly growing beverage concentrate market with launch of YOMIL — a milk-based drink concentrate.

DS Group, the Rs. 2,200 crore business conglomerate with footprint across diverse sectors that ranges from Rajnigandha pan masala to infrastructure, has set its eyes on the rapidly growing beverage concentrate market with launch of YOMIL — a milk-based drink concentrate.

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“With YOMIL, the industry’s first ever milk-based powdered beverage, we are expanding our product portfolio. With this product we aspire to build a focused consumer connect while catering to evolving customer requirements,” said Rajiv Kumar, vice chairman DS Group.

With this foray, the company is fully geared up to challenge and compete with market leader Rasna, which for several years has enjoyed a near monopoly in the market.

The similarity of YOMIL with Rasna ends wherein both are beverage concentrate products. Even as Rasna remains a soft drink concentrate the DS Group's YOMIL is milk-based. DS Group claims a ready-to-drink milk concentrate powder is the first of its kind in India.

The beverage concentrate market is estimated at around Rs. 500 crore that is growing at a robust pace of 15% annually. The overall beverage market in India is estimated at Rs. 1,500 crore that is growing at 20% every year.

DS Group already has several popular brands such as Rajnigandha pan masala, Catch brands of spices under its kitty and boasts of a robust supply chain across India through which it would take YOMIL from the neighbourhood grocery stores to modern retail outlets.