20 years after he launched India’s first e-commerce website, entrepreneur and industry veteran K Vaitheeswaran, along with his Fabmart co-founder Sundeep Thakran, has now forayed into the beverage market with the launch of Again, a ready-to-drink beverage that boasts of no preservatives and natural sugar content.
Again has been made out of healthy ingredients like low-fat dairy (milk or yoghurt), real fruits, nuts, vegetables and natural sweeteners. Vaitheeswaran and Thakran state that the drinks have no refined sugar, no added preservatives, artificial flavours or colours.
“We see a huge gap in the ready-to-drink beverage market in India. Right now, consumers are forced to choose between delicious and nutritious. Whether its consumers shopping at retail outlets, patrons earing out at restaurants or passengers at airports, we wonder why can’t they have both? Given the current scenario, it is of paramount importance that we provide nutritive food choices which are easily accessible and affordable without compromising on the taste factor,” Vaitheeswaran said.
The duo has tied up with two manufacturing units – the Nilgiris Dairy Farm in Bengaluru and Quality Milk Farm near Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu.
Four variants of Again were launched on Wednesday: two variants with double toned (low fat) milk drink – one with almonds, cashews, dates and one with chocolate, strawberry and jaggery flavours – and two variants with double toned (low fat) yoghurt drink – one with alphonso mango and one with carrot orange and banana.
“It has been an exciting challenge to create a range of beverages that rank high on nutrition as well as flavour. Instead of refined sugar, we have used honey and jaggery as healthy substitutes. Again drinks have 100 per cent natural ingredients, with the highest fruit or vegetable content, that too as a puree and not a juice or concentrate, as compared to any other beverage or dairy product in the market,” Sundeep Thakran, co-founder of Again, stated.
All the four variants have been launched in Bengaluru in select retail outlets and online grocery stores on a pilot basis and in the next three to four months will be available in key south Indian cities.
The Again team stated that they will also be targeting the overseas market. The team is also looking out for mentors and further funding for their company.