India powers volume growth for Coca-Cola in March quarter

Mumbai: India alongside China and Brazil drove volume growth for American beverage giant Coca-Cola in the March quarter even as the company had to contend with a weakening consumer sentiment in developed markets like the US which weighed on its share of volume gains in the regions. The firm’s consolidated volume grew 2% during the quarter. Asia Pacific recorded a 6% volume growth led by India while volumes declined by 3% in North America. Coca-Cola reports unit case volume which factors in the total number of unit cases of beverages sold by the company and its bottling partners.

“We saw a good momentum in Asia Pacific driven by a good quarter in India in particular. We saw a strong volume growth across our portfolio in India and increased household penetration,” said James Quincey, chairman and CEO at The Coca-Cola Company during the firm’s earnings call on Tuesday.

The company’s net revenues declined by 2% to $11.1 billion on the back of currency headwinds and the impact of refranchising bottling operations. “In India, Trademark Coca-Cola and Thums Up, a cherished regional brand are fueling consumers and contributed to double-digit volume growth for the market in the first quarter,” the company said. Summers arrived early in parts of India this year, helping beverage players.

Coca-Cola is betting on its all-weather strategy to power growth amid macro-uncertainty posed by tariffs. “We are not immune to global trade dynamics. The imperative is to make global brands locally relevant,” executives said. The company competes with global rival PepsiCo and regional players like Campa Cola in India.