*

Tap water in India not fit for human consumption

*

India is among the world's fastest growing bottled water

markets

*

Wealthy opt for premium water as wellness craze boosts

industry

*

Tata expanding offerings, hunting for natural water

springs

*

Premium water now accounts for 8% of Indian market

By Aditya Kalra and Rishika Sadam

NEW DELHI, India, Jan 31 (Reuters) - At an Indian

gourmet food store, Avanti Mehta is organising a blind tasting

of drinks sourced from France, Italy and India. No, this isn't

wine, it's water.

Participants use tiny shot glasses to check the minerality,

carbonation and salinity in samples of Evian from the French

Alps, Perrier from southern France, San Pellegrino from Italy

and India's Aava from the foothills of the Aravalli mountains.

"They will ‌all taste different ... you should be choosing a

water that can give you some sort of nutritional value," said

Mehta, who is 32 and calls herself India's youngest water

sommelier, a term usually associated with premium wine. Her

family owns the Aava mineral water brand.

Premium water is a $400 ​million business in the world's most

populous nation and is growing bigger as its wealthy see it as a

new status symbol that fits in with a spreading wellness craze.

Premium Indian mineral ‍water costs around $1 for a one-litre

bottle, while imported brands are upwards of $3, or 15 times the

price of the country's lowest-priced basic bottled water.

Clean ⁠water is a privilege in the country of ⁠1.4 billion

people where researchers say 70% of the groundwater is

contaminated. Tap water remains unfit to drink, and 16 people

died in Indore city after consuming contaminated tap water in

December.

Many in India see bottled water as a necessity and standard

20 U.S.-cent bottles are ‌available widely at convenience stores,

restaurants and hotels. The market is worth nearly $5 billion

annually and is set to ​grow 24% a year - among the fastest in

the world.

Bottled water demand in United States or China is driven by

convenience, making it a $30 billion-plus market in each country

which will grow just 4-5% each year, Euromonitor says.

In India, the premium water segment is leading the surge in

demand, accounting for 8% of the bottled water ⁠market last year

compared to just 1% in 2021, Euromonitor said.

"Distrust of municipal water in some areas ‍has escalated the

demand for ​bottled water. Now, people understand how mineral

water has more health benefits. It's expensive, but the category

will boom," said Amulya Pandit, a senior consultant at

Euromonitor specializing in the drinks market.

Among its consumers are New Delhi-based real estate

developer B.S. Batra, who says his family uses only premium

water at home to get more minerals and safeguard health.

"You feel ‍different, more energetic during the day," said

Batra, 49, an avid badminton player.

"I consume mineral water even with whisky at home, and kids

use it for their smoothies."

WATER LURES BOLLYWOOD STAR, WEALTHY

The popular 20-cent plastic bottled water is mainly made by

Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Indian market leader

Bisleri. In addition, Indians who can afford it, install

purifiers in their homes which clean the water but also remove

most minerals.

Imported and local premium waters are luring wealthy

consumers and businesses alike.

Bollywood star Bhumi Pednekar and her sister have launched

Backbay - selling 750 ml cartons of mineral water for $2.2;

Indian conglomerate Tata is expanding its premium water

portfolio, and retailers and businesses are reporting higher

sales.

Tata Consumer Products, also Starbucks' ( SBUX )

partner in India, sells 20-cent bottled water, but premium water

is its priority as it sees affluent, health-focused consumers

willing to spend on the drink ​without worrying about the ‍price,

CEO Sunil D'Souza said in an interview.

"I don't have to push water uphill...I see a long, long,

long runway for the business," he said.

Tata's premium "Himalayan" mineral water factory - which a

Reuters photographer visited - is located in the foothills of

the Himalayan range in Himachal Pradesh state. Workers there

largely keep a hands-free watch on machines filling plastic and

glass bottles with ​water sourced from a natural underground

aquifer.

LOOKING FOR SPRINGS

Most Indians prefer still water, and the sparkling variant

remains niche. Tata said it plans to launch a sparkling

Himalayan water, and is also scouting for natural springs for

expanding its other offerings.

At three Foodstories Indian gourmet stores, sales of premium

waters tripled in 2025. Customer demand prompted the chain to

import "light and creamy" Saratoga Spring Water from New York,

which costs 799 rupees ($9) for a 335 ml bottle, and stocks sold

out within days, said co-founder Avni Biyani.

Indian mineral water brand Aava's sales touched a record 805

million rupees ($9 million) last year, growing 40% a year since

2021. Tata said its basic and premium water portfolio will grow

30% a year, after growing tenfold to $65 million in six years.

Imported waters, which attract an over 30% tax, are pricier

than Indian brands. Nestle's Perrier and San

Pellegrino, and Danone's Evian retail for over 300

rupees, or $3.20, for a 750 ml ​bottle.

Nestle declined to comment, while Danone said the Indian

bottled water market was growing at a "robust" pace but imported

waters "tend to be niche and boutique."

"When you open your tap, you're not getting an Aava, Evian

... And that is what you're essentially paying for," said water

sommelier Mehta.

At the water tasting session, some participants said they

enjoyed the experience but many found the price hard to swallow.

"To be honest, it is kind of expensive," said executive

Hoshini Vallabhaneni, one of 14 people at the event. "For

everyday use - ‍it will burn a hole in the pocket."