Cola Drinks in India

ThumpUp
 

In late 70’s (1978) American cola giant Coca Cola abandoned operations in India rather than accept a forced sale of 60% of their equity to an Indian company.

In 1977, the Morarji Desai government asked Coca-Cola to hand over the controlling stake of its Indian operation to Indian investors as per the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act. This would have meant that Coca-Cola might have had to share the secret Coca-Cola formula with its Indian partners. Coca-Cola refused and was asked by the government to cease its operations in India.

Following this, the Parle brothers launched Thums Up as their flagship drink, adding to their portfolio of older brands  Limca (lime flavour) and Gold Spot (orange flavour).

Thums Up enjoyed a near monopoly with a much stronger market share, often overshadowing domestic rivals like Campa Cola, Double Seven, Dukes and United Breweries Group's McDowell's Crush, although many small players sold well in their own markets.

In 1990, when the Indian government opened the market to multinationals, Pepsi was the first to come in. Thums Up and Pepsi subsequently engaged in heavy competition for endorsements.

Thums Up also introduced a larger 300 ml bottle, branded "MahaCola" (the original size was 250 ml). This nickname gained popularity in smaller towns where people would ask for "Maha Cola" instead of Thums Up. Consumers were divided, with some saying that Pepsi’s mild taste was rather bland.

In 1993 Coca-Cola re-entered India after a prolonged absence, spurring a three-way Cola War with Thums Up and Pepsi. That same year, Parle sold out to Coke for US$60 million. Some assumed Parle had lost the appetite for a fight against the two largest cola brands; others surmised that the international brands' seemingly endless cash reserves overwhelmed Parle. Thums Up had an 85% market share when sold.

Relaunch after losing ground.

Despite its strong overall equity, the brand was losing its popularity among the core cola drinking age group of 12 to 25 year-olds, partly due to a lack of advertising.

At first, Coca-Cola cut advertising and production for Thums Up to drive customers to their flagship band, but soon realised that Thums Up customers would turn to Pepsi instead of Coke, were Thums Up withdrawn from the market. Instead, Coke decided to use Thums Up as a rival brand to Pepsi. The Coca-Cola Company by this time had about 60.5% share of the Indian soft-drink market but much to its dismay found out that if it took out Thums Up, it would remain with only 28.72% of the market (according to a report by NGO Finance & Trade in India), hence it once again dusted off the Thums Up brand and re-launched it, targeting 30- to 40-year-olds.

The brand was re-positioned as a “manly” drink, drawing on its strong taste qualities. Known to be a strong drink with more power packed into it than other colas, it was a favorite in rum-based cocktails, as in “rum and Thums Up.” Thums Up kick-started an aggressive campaign directly attacking Pepsi’s television commercials, focusing on the strength of the drink hoping that the depiction of an “adult” drink would appeal to young consumers. “Grow up to Thums Up” was a successful campaign. The brand’s market share and equity soared. The brand was unshakeable and Coca-Cola’s declaration that Thums Up was India’s premier cola brand in terms of market share did not surprise many.

Other campaigns from Thums Up build on its “strength” and its perception as a macho drink.

The famous slogan until the early 1980s was "Happy days are here again", coined by then famous copywriter, Vasant Kumar. The slogan later became "I want My Thunder", and subsequently "Taste the thunder!"

Jammu & Kashmir 2014 State Election; BJP neck to neck with PDP, Congress again no where!!!

Biggest take away from result of Jammu & Kashmir 2014 State Election - BJP neck to neck with PDP

Total Seat : 87

To form Govt: 44+

BJP: 25

PDP: 28

NC: 15

Cong:12

It’s a very peculiar situation in J&K; no one has the complete strength to form Govt. PDP is leading following BJP. But still to form Govt one need to have 44+. BJP has done really good in Jummu though they somehow fail to attract Valley numbers.

From the angle of latest build up in numbers, my take from here is PDP won’t allow to be hostile marrying Congress for majority, though Congress won’t be demanding since they don’t have that good number in state or any part of Country, so it seems BJP would be a tempting Allies for PDP, being BJP in center keeping then with Govt formation will have a upper edge.

But to form a government with BJP, they need to come up with common agenda for the state and probably BJP need to keep Article 370 on back burner for sometime if the allies formed it will be a casting on Stone for Jammu and Kashmir politics

But from the progress of numbers, what we can squeeze out from here, it’s a fractured mandate but a sign of competitive politics though it is not a complete wipe out for any of the Party. Its not a hard press for PDP they will certainly go with BJP, my thought and we will see Mufti Mohammad Syed as the CM in J&K.

But it is obvious the urge for the good Govt is there are the verdict shows a climate of change.

Bill became act

A Bill is a draft act which becomes law after it is passed by both the Houses of Parliament and agreed by the President. 

Bill became act

A Bill undergoes three readings in each House of Parliament. 

1.       The First Reading consists of the Introduction of a Bill in the house by motion for leave to introduce a Bill in either of the House, then the setting up of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees for examination and report within three months.

2.       The Second reading start only after the Committee summits its report on the Bill to the Houses.  The Second Reading consists of two stages:

a.       the ‘first stage’ consists of discussion on the principles of the Bill

b.      the ‘second stage’ signifies the clause-by clause consideration of the Bill as introduced or as reported by the Select/Joint Committee.  Amendments given by members to various clauses are moved at this stage.

3.       The Third Reading refers to the discussion on the motion that the Bill (or the Bill as amended) be passed or returned (to the Lok Sabha, in the case of a Money Bill) wherein the arguments are based against or in favour of the Bill.  After a Bill has been passed by one House, it is sent to the other House where it goes through the same procedure. 

After a Bill has been passed by both Houses, it is presented to the President for his assent.  The President can assent or withhold his assent to a Bill or he can return a Bill, other than a Money Bill, for reconsideration.  If the Bill is again passed by the Houses, with or without amendment made by the President, he shall not withhold assent there from. 

A Bill becomes an Act of Parliament after being passed by both the Houses of Parliament and agreed by the President. 

Deadlock between two Houses on Bill

In the case of Bills, a disagreement between the two Houses may arise when a Bill passed by one House is rejected by the other House; or the Houses have finally disagreed as to the amendments to be made in the Bill; or more than six months lapse from the date of the reception of the Bill by the other House without the Bill being passed by it.

Answer to Deadlock

Joint sessions
The Constitution allows the President of India to call for a joint session of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha to approve legislation that fails to pass both houses. Such sittings are rare in India’s history – only three have ever been called: in 1961, 1978 and, most recently, in 2002 to pass an anti-terrorism legislation that was later repealed. 

A joint session would have a combined strength of 795: 545 Lok Sabha members (543 elected, 2 appointed) and a maximum of 250 Rajya Sabha members (there are currently just 240 sitting members, year 2014). The BJP-led NDA could then combine its forces for a total showing of 393 seats (334 Lok Sabha + 59 Rajya Sabha). At present numbers, that is a simple majority and if any more of the Rajya Sabha seats are filled, only a few more votes would be needed. Easy work for a party riding the victory they just achieved at the polls. The only area of law where a joint session cannot be called is on Constitutional amendments and on matters of impeachment and emergency.

History of Joint session

In the history of Parliament of India, there have been three occasions when both Houses of Parliament held a joint sitting to resolve deadlock on Bills between them, i.e.,

1.       6 and 9 May 1961 on the Dowry Prohibition Bill, 1959;

2.       17 May 1978 on the Banking Service Commission (Repeal) Bill, 1977; and

3.       26 March 2002 on the Prevention of Terrorism Bill, 2002.