Water is one of the basic need!!
But, imagine, for a moment, a day without water that too in this scorching summer heat?
How important is water to Human life, Plantlife or even to maintain the ecological Balance?
You’ve probably noted the advice, one should “Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.”
Drinking water straight from taps can prove harmful to your health since deadly pathogens like Enterobacter Coli (E-Coli) and Entamoeba histolytica tend to form spores in water, to survive the heat.
Should you drink contaminated water, you can come down with severe dysentery, colic pains, and other illnesses.
The best way to avoid waterborne disease during summers is by consuming mineral and packaged ones.
Are you Really Drinking Mineralized Drinking water?
With that in mind, here’s…
The List of Top 10 Best Mineral water Brands in India, available easily at all stores in India.
Packaged Drinking Water in India: Overview
India’s packaged drinking water industry stood at Rs 160 billion in the recently concluded the financial year 2017-2018.
The industry is growing at a rapid pace, expanding at a rate of about 10 percent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) every year.
According to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the country has over 60,000 plants manufacturing packaged or bottled drinking water.
Types of Packaged Drinking Water
In India, you will come across three packaged drinking water.
- Purified Drinking Water: This is regular water that has been purified and pasteurized to eliminate pathogens before bottling.
- Mineral Water: Same as packaged drinking water. However, the manufacturer fortifies water with various minerals essential for good physical health. Minerals are also added to replace those lost through perspiration.
- Spring Water: These are expensive variants of packaged drinking water. Spring water is collected from water sources in mountain ranges, forests or springs and are claimed to have medical benefit. They are purified using Ozone and other technologies that help retain the taste of original spring water.
Therefore, to help you decide on which brand of water to buy, let’s check out which brand is best in terms of expectation, quality, taste, and benefit.
These brands are available across the country. The list does not indicate ranking, popularity or price range. It is purely indicative and generated at random.
Top 10 Mineral Water Brands in India
This list includes the topmost brands of drinking mineral water available in India.
1. Rail Neer
Rail Neer is a signature product of Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
In 2016, it won the accolade as ‘India’s Most Trusted Brand’ in the packaged drinking water category from IBC Media.
According to industry sources, nearly 20 million bottles of 750ml of Rail Neer are produced at the 10 plants owned by IRCTC.
Passengers travelling on Indian Railways trains spent about Rs.1.22 billion on Rail Neer in 2017.
2. Bisleri
Bisleri is the first brand of mass-produced bottled drinking water of India.
It made its appearance in 1965 when Parle Group launched a joint venture with Italian bottler named Bisleri.
The Italian firm had two brands-Bisleri and Limca- that were bought out by Parle Group.
Bisleri is packaged mineral water that is now manufactured by Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd, an offshoot of Parle Group.
You can buy Bisleri mineral water in bottles and dispensers of various sizes.
3. Aquafina
Aquafina is the very popular brand of purified drinking water manufactured in 19 plants across India by global beverages giant, PepsiCo.
In the US, Aquafina brand was launched in 2005 and arrived in India five years later, with the first bottle being made at PepsiCo plant in Mumbai.
Aquafina purified drinking water is available in various packages and large dispensers for homes and offices.
4. Bailey
Bailley packaged drinking water comes from Parle Agro. Bailey has been around in the Indian market since 1993 and is available across the country.
Bailley is known for its purity and crisp taste. It is ordinary drinking water that is processed at plants owned by Parle Agro to remove impurities, pathogens, and odour.
The product is crisp and clear water that is designed to satisfy thirst and provide the right replenishment of minerals lost due to perspiration in hot summers and sports activities.
5. Kinley
America’s beverages major, Coca-Cola manufactures and sells Kinley brand of mineral water in India. Kinley is a highly respected brand and has captured a sizeable share of the market since its launch in the year 2000.
Though Kinley is made with ordinary drinking water, essential minerals are added during its process.
Coca-Cola Co follows a very stringent filtration, purification, and fortification process to manufacture Kinley mineral water.
The brand is known for its unique advertisements that exhort people to trust every drop of water from this brand for its purity and health benefits.
6. Himalayan Natural
Himalayan Natural Mineral Water is a brand jointly launched by Tata Global Beverages Co and PepsiCo.
An underground moving aquifer located at the foothills of a Shivalik range of the Himalayas is a source for this mineral water.
It is the only natural mineral water from India to have won several international awards.
Himalayan Natural has two more variants- Himalayan Natural Sparking and Himalayan Orchard Pure that carries the distinct and natural fragrance of flowers that grow in Shivalik range.
The floral fragrance is natural and not an added flavour.
7. Vedica
Also derived from aquifers in Himalaya mountain range, Vedica is a brand of natural spring water from Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd.
The brand is called Vedica because rare herbs, plants, and trees that have medicinal properties and grow in the Himalayas are found near the aquifer from where this natural spring water is drawn.
Vedica natural mineral water has pH value higher than any other competitor and contains right blend of sulfates and other minerals for good health.
8. Oxyrich
Oxyrich bottled drinking water offers up to 300 percent more oxygen to your body says its manufacturer, Manikchand Group.
The company was founded in Pune in the late 1950s. The company is a reputed manufacturer of flavoured and chewable tobacco products.
In the early 2000s, Manikchand Group diversified its interests into bottled drinking water. Oxyrich is made with unique technology at over half a dozen plants in India.
This technology enables Oxyrich to deliver some 300 percent more oxygen, through various added minerals.
9. McDowell’s No-1
Yes, McDowell’s No-1 packaged drinking water exists in the real world too and is not merely an advertising gimmick used to promote the eponymous range of whiskeys, brandy, and rum.
McDowell’s No-1 brand is owned by United Spirits Ltd, a subsidiary of British alcohol major and multinational company, Diageo.
McDowell’s No-1 bottled drinking water is manufactured at various franchised plants across India.
It is widely advertised in the print and electronic media and finds mention at sports venues. The brand subtly promotes liquor bearing the same name, since alcohol advertising is banned in India.
10. Tata Water Plus
Tata Water Plus is fortified drinking water. It is manufactured by Tata Global Beverages Co and is available at high-end stores across India and through select online retailers.
Tata Water Plus is a research product. It is ordinary drinking water that undergoes extensive processes such as filtration and purification to remove pathogens, toxins, and odor.
However, Tata Water Plus is fortified with essential elements- Copper and Zinc to provide a nutritional edge to consumers.
It draws on the ancient Indian tradition of drinking water stored in copper and brass containers for health benefits.
Bottled Water in India
As we mention earlier, there are over 60,000 water bottling units in India. Hence, there are thousands of packaged drinking water brands available across the country.
To cite an example, India’s smallest state, Goa, has over 100 water bottling plants, each manufacturing its own brands or producing for giants in the field.
Indian Railways is planning to expand manufacturing bases for its Rail Neer brand in North East India, with projects coming up in Assam and elsewhere, to cater to railway networks in the mountainous region.
Indian liquor manufacturers have also launched brands of drinking water that match with their alcoholic drinks.
For example, Kingfisher, India’s largest selling beer and Bagpiper, a popular whiskey also have eponymous brands of water that carry the same logo and almost similar labels.
These are utilized more to advertise the liquor brand rather than standalone drinking water
Also Read: Top 10 Liquor Companies in India
In Conclusion
India’s bottled drinking water industry is on the upswing. This is due to increasing awareness of the need to consume toxin and pathogen-free water for good health and growing affordability, especially among the rural populace.
However, this boom has also led to a bane for the environment: Polyethylene (PET) bottles used for packing water are littered carelessly on Indian roads, forests, beaches and tourist attractions.
Since they are not biodegradable, these bottles pollute the environment.
Hence, it is advisable to buy and drink a good brand of mineral water and check the packaging before you consume.
Buying a good brand of drinking water is essential for your health. It can provide the right balance of minerals and ensure good health for family and you.
The next time you feel thirsty outdoors, look for packaged water of the brands we have listed above.