Coke grins and bears it

Coca Cola is out to prove its commitment to the consumer. Despite the recent excise hike on aerated soft drinks, Coca Cola India has decided to maintain its price line at the current level to protect the buyer. The retail prices of all soft drinks have seen a hike of 50 per cent over the past four years. Says Donald Short, Company President & CEO: "The Indian consumer is price-sensitive. A further retail price increase will result in slower sales for retailers and manufacturers." The company believes that lower excise rates in the future will result in better value for the consumer and greater volumes and growth in the industry.

Goa, Ooty beckon: BPL has launched a new consumer scheme for a free four-day/three-night stay at Holiday Inn (Goa or Ooty) on buying a BPL product. The product list includes a range of colour TVs, VCRs, microwaves and washing machines from BPL. The holiday package, valid till October 30, is for 2 adults and 2 kids.

HDFC at your service: In a bid to service its customers and to keep them informed about loans and deposits, HDFC has put up an interactive voice response service which works 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. The HDFC infoline will be especially useful to customers with HDFC's Backbay Reclamation office, who can use this service to get information on the status of their accounts on a day-to-day basis.

A buck off on Jumpin': Godrej's Jumpin', the tetrapak fruit drink which recently expanded its range, is offering a rupee off on a bigger sized 250 ml tetrapak drink to the consumer. The industry views this as a move to restrain Yo Frooti from gaining volumes while capitalising on its popularity. Jumpin' was launched in competition with Parle's Frooti, a leader in the Indian tetrapak market. Even as Jumpin' made a dent in the market, Parle fired another salvo with Yo Frooti, which seems to have gained popularity among youngsters.

The 39hp king: Eicher Tractors, a business unit of Eicher Ltd, has launched its 39 hp Shahenshah model in Bangalore. The new tractor has improved capabilities with aerodynamic design and better ergonomics, claims general manager (marketing) Rakesh Jinsi. The company has a network of 12 dealers in the state which will be increased to 20 by the year-end, he added. Eicher also plans to unveil 46 hp and 55 hp tractors later this year. The Shahenshah tractors are also fitted with air cooling engines to increase fuel efficiency and durability. Eicher is also setting up a new plant at Mandideep near Bhopal which will be operational by the year-end.

Watch out for Breguet: The Breguet collection, which has drawn a lot of interest from watch lovers, may soon gain popularity here if the 250th birth anniversary celebrations of founder Abraham Louis Breguet held in India are any indication. The Breguet name, recognised all over as the `true watch connoisseur's dream', is available at Beautiful Boulevard in Napean Sea Road, one of south Mumbai's upmarket addresses. "India is an important destination as we feel there are many watch connoisseurs in this country who earlier had to travel abroad to get a watch of their choice," says Montres Breguet, president & CEO of JJ Jacober.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.