Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, has suggested blending at least 2% fruit juice in aerated drinks to help distressed farmers find a new market for their produce. He proposed the idea to top officials of leading aerated drinks companies who visited him recently.
"Why can't 2 per cent natural juice be mixed in aerated drinks? This will provide farmers a market for their produce," he explained when speaking at a conference of start-up businesses recently.
The possibility of blending cold carbonated drinks, which are widely considered not healthy, with natural fruit juice is also being looked into.
According to a recent report by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, consumption of non-alcoholic beverages is expected to increase by 16.5-19 per cent over the next three years in the country.
