Within hours of a newsagency filing a report that a survey by ORG-Marg showed that Coca Cola garnered over 56 per cent of the soft drinks market in May this year against arch rival Pepsi's 40 per cent, Pepsi countered it with the findings of IMRB which reveals that Coke has in fact lost it market share from 52 per cent to 48 per cent while Pepsi gained from 43 per cent to 47.30 per cent during the month.

Figures from the survey conducted by ORG-Marg, which was hired by Coca Cola, indicated that Coke brands mustered 56.6 per cent of the market in 23 cities where the survey was conducted despite trailing in six cities. Pepsico India, on the other hand garnered 39.7 per cent with its brands like Pepsi, Mirinda,Teem, Seven-Up and Duke, it said.

However, IMRB survey, which was conducted in 51 cities, shows that Pepsi increased its market share from 43 per cent to 47.3 per cent in May.

Pepsi sources claimed that volume growth in the Indian market as declared by Coke was merely 31 per cent in the first six months of 1998 against Pepsi's growth rate of 42 per cent.

Coca Cola brands Coke, Fanta, Thums up, Limca, Citra, Gold Spot and Maaza however trailed its rival in six cities including Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune and Coimbatore, says the ORG-Marg survey.

It goes on to reveal that Pepsico cornered 51.7 per cent of the Mumbai market (as against 47.4 of Coca Cola), 50.5 per cent of Bangalore (48.7 by Coke), 50.4 per cent of Pune (49.4 by Coke) and 53.9 per cent in Coimbatore (as against 42 per cent by Coke).

In Delhi, Coke held a lead over Pepsi by carving a market share of 51.2 per cent as against 43.8 per cent of its rival, according to ORG-Marg survey. However, the IMRB survey claims that Coke's market share inDelhi was 45per cent against Pepsi's 49 per cent.

ORG-Marg said Coca Cola held marketshare of over 70 per cent in cities like Amritsar, Hyderabad, Ludhiana and Indore.