Is your Drinking Water Safe for Drinking ?

How Can you know your Drinking Water Quality ?

If you are your family members keep on getting certain health issues repeatedly, you suspect it's the Water, because of which, it's happening. Then you buy Aquaguard, or Kent RO or a Water purifier as per your choice & budget. Believing, finally you are getting good water.

How do you really know that ?

Getting the water tested & analyzed by experts : this is the only way. 

1. First, buy a TDS meter, to know your water TDS. TDS is nothing but the total count of invisible minerals & salts [both good & bad] in your water. Read this for more about TDS Level. 
2. Measure your Source Water TDS, Record that.
3. Measure your RO Output TDS, Record that.

This is the 1st basic test to know your water.

Buy the BIS Water Quality Standard.

From the BIS website, get the Water Quality Standard for drinking water. The standard for drinking water is IS 10500.

Use the "e-sale" option. Then you can compare the same yourself.

Smarter way , is to get the water tested, (Source & Final Water) from a lab & analyzed by an expert. He will certify the suitability of the water & the remedy for purifying the same.

You can also send it to us :

Just contact us, and we shall get it done for you.

Recycling PET is the next big thing, sure !

Invest in Recycling !

If you are looking for a good business opportunity, invest in Recycling! Recently I have read 2 good news, 1 from Saudi & today from Egypt. In the Saudi News, Aquafina was not just official "Hydration" (bottled water) partner, but also was very keen in keeping the PET waste collection bins at various locations. We had covered this in another Blogpost.

Now it was time for Egypt

Thanks to Scoopempire.com

in Cairo, at the Elgouna Film Festival, Aquafina again made its mark by sponsoring a special dress fashioned for actress Dorra, made out of 300 Aquafina Bottles. 

Aquafina collaborated with an upcycling firm from Egypt, Up-Fuse, A designer Studio - Kojack Studio & an advertising Agency- Rabbit Experience.

Aquafina has specially carved out this program for the film festival benefit called "Designing Out Waste". Clearly, Pepsico is not only showing its keen interest to collect & recycle its waste, but also very keen to get the word out to brand themselves.

Where is Bisleri ?

In India, are there any initiatives like this ? I am keen to see something from the giants : Bisleri. Besides advertising their own products with camels (though very creative), I have not seen much initiatives by them.

#update March 2020 : Bisleri is already into it : Producing uniforms from the collected, crushed, recycled bottles

Ref this news :- https://www.indiantelevision.com/mam/marketing/mam/bisleri-makes-staff-uniforms-out-of-1000000-used-bottles-200305

There is definitely a lot of scope !

However, from a small producer's angle, there is a lot of scope for doing this. Just be creative & start a recycling campaign !

Branding with Waste Collection bins ..

Can this be a brand new Marketing idea for you ?

[Listen to the Podcast]

As we all know, the plastic is a big, huge challenge to the environment, and the Bottled Water industry, though not the 1st culprit, is the automatic target of everyone. As a Water Plant owner, we still need to make our sell. Hence need to make alterations/additions to our marketing strategies, branding, etc.

Look what Aquafina is doing in Saudi

Aquafina, the global water giant, has installed recycling bins during a huge tournament in Saudi very recently. They are just PET collection bins. This way, they not only support the cause, but also brand themselves well. In addition, they also made this news.

Can you implement this simple but effective strategy, starting at least from your locale ?

Please share your experience.

Build a Portfolio like Pepsi

Well, What do I mean ?

I saw something on the internet today and I was amazed by it. The website mentioned what are Pepsico's offerings as whole ? It mainly works for 2 segments : Snack Food & Beverages. I browsed the beverage segment quickly & found about Pepsi's diversified Beverage range which keeps itself present in various segments of market to offer some solution to public demand. Let's have a look at how the're doing it :-

• 7-Up : This is a Carbonated Drink. Pepsi pitches it as an all purpose aerated water.
• Aquafina : All purpose Packaged Drinking Water, for all.
• Brisk : Iced Tea. Nothing great, just a fancy Drink. Pitching it for Fancy.
• Bubly : Sparkling Water. It's a Soda. Aerated Water. All purpose plain Soda, added value pitched as good quality water.
• Gatrode : Sports Drink. Pepsi pitches it on the sportsmen / institutes segment.
• Kevita : It's Probiotic, pitching the health-wellness segment.
• Lemon Lemon : Sparkling Lemonade, Added niche- the Lemonade lovers. Addon to Vodka Cocktails maybe.
• LifeWTR : Premium Bottled Water, marketed as PH balanced water. Health-Wellness segment- targeting the deeper niche-PH balancing/Alkaline Water.
• Lipton : Green, Black Tea in Powder form. Targeting the deeper niche in Health-Wellness segment-people who love to make their own Tea.
• Montellier : Carbonated Natural Spring Water - Going deeper again for health conscious segments.
• Mountain Dew : A typical Aerated water, pitched differently.
• Muscle Milk : Protein Drink , pitched for body builders, deeper niche.
• Naked :Fruit Juices : Health-wellness . Metabolism niche pitched.
• ONE : Coconut Water : Health-wellness , particularly for atheletes, sportsmen.
• Pure Leaf : Iced Tea : Fancy.
• Tropicana : Old brand in Juices : all purpose, natural juices.

What's the lesson for Packaged Drinking Water Industry ?

If you observe any brand in India, particularly in the Packaged Drinking Water segment, majority of them are just sitting on 1 product : Packaged Drinking Water. They might have varieties but product & it's audience is same. Many of them have now come up with 1 brand for general purpose & an other for premium market. But that's all. Look at the above product range & you will come to know the various market audience Pepsi pitches to. It's a lesson to learn : Diversify your product Portfolio.

It's a NEED now !

When there are over 6000 players in the market, you need something different, additional to be in the market. Your customer is the Distributor who will stock your products. It makes perfect sense to keep a variety & build a brand like Pepsi has done. Agreed, it took years for them; but someday you need to make a start. Why not today ?

Fastest way to stop generating PET bottles waste

On various online & offline platforms, there is a huge talk going on this subject. No doubt, individual efforts are important, but major difference will happen when the Government takes suitable measures in this besides just declaring schemes.

Incentives or Subsidies should be introduced to install Water ATMs

Water ATM

Like the money ATM, it will be Water Automated Tailoring Machine for Water. This is not at all a new concept, however, very poorly implemented in India. 

Govt has Installed Many Water ATMs

In various states, Govt has installed water ATMs. Typically it lays down technical specs, raises tenders & award contract to bidders who are Water ATM suppliers. The Govt , with a good intention does this- making pure water available to the poorest person at cheaper rate than the Bottled Water.

What are the rates like ?

If you see the Railway Station Water ATMs, they sell water at Rs. 5 per Litre, however, I have also seen at many places it's sold at Rs.1 per Litre too. There may be a variation for the Railways, and others as Railways has an admin cost. But water purification cost is very less. It comes to just 10 paise per litre (considering the RO system) unless the raw water is really very bad. 

What is in a Water ATM actually ?

A Water ATM Machine typically consists of an RO Plant (Filtration system for removing the TDS- Totally Dissolved Solids in the raw water) and it may/may not be with a Chiller to make water Cold. It also has a dispensing system with a Coin Vending & Card Vending. Card Vending is a system, through which you need not pay cash every time & prepay like a Mobile balance.

If Govt has installed these, what's the problem ?

Problem while maintaining these systems. As we are aware, govt schemes are good, they struggle in execution. Water ATM is no exception. 

What's the solution ?

Solution can be encouraging entrepreneur driven models, rather than financing the Water ATMs. In this model, Government will introduce trainings through its EDP's (Entrepreneurship Development Programmes, They will be through expert training institutes or individuals, and also rope in a financial support through some of the NGOs so that the entrepreneur gets the funding help, not the free funding. At the end, entrepreneur has to sell water through the ATM machine and should make profit from it. Check this Video :- 

TDS Meter

What's a TDS Meter ?

What is TDS ?

TDS is Total Dissolved Solids in water. They are not in visible form. However, the BIS has specified how much should be the count, which is in PPM (particals per million). 

Why is it important to measure that ?

The impurity in your water besides your turbidity, smell, colour etc can be measured by this. If it is beyond certain limit, can be dangerous to health. On the other hand, if it is adjusted properly, it can better the taste as well.

It's easy to measure this

Just immerse the TDS meter in Water & read the figure. The HM digital is a good bargain for TDS meters. When I bought it costed something like 600/- , please check current price. Don't buy cheaper ones.

What's a good range ?

BIS says upto 500 is okay, however, between 30 & 80, water tastes good. 

Rich Dad Poor Dad and other books by Robert Kiyosaki

Most Phenomenal Books for an Entrepreneur

Rich Dad Poor Dad

Robert Kiyosaki, the author, who was born to a middleclass family, whose father was an employee, always taught him to save, whereas, he followed his friend's father who believed in creating , building businesses. Slowly steadily how you can transform yourself to become a Businessman & turn into an investor.

A Must must for every First generation Businessman-Entrepreneur.

Cash Flow Quadrant

This teaches you what a Chartered Accountant will not tell you, in most simplistic language. Do read this and understand how you can remain lean, sleek in today's business environment.

Both these books are available in all Indian languages. Do get these. Worth investing.

The 4-Hour Work Week

Excellent Book by Tim Ferris

This book,4 Hour Work Week, by Tim Ferris, when I first saw the cover, I was thinking it's yet another "made to sell" kind of book. Looking at the Hammock at the beach featured on its front page. However, I turned out to be totally wrong as the book provides tremendous insights for an entrepreneur on how he can follow his passion by managing his/her resources in a very very innovative way.

The type is Good, An American Book, I finished in 3 days, so engaging it was. I bought this in May 2016, still referring it.

Carbon Foot Print - A Serious Alarm to the Bottled Water Business !

Yes, It is damn serious !

(Listen to the Podcast)

If you are thinking of a venture into Water Business, and if you are thinking in terms of establishing a PET bottle based Water Business, you really need to re-think. It has become a serious thing. Indeed !

Why am I saying so ?

Considering the growing concern over Carbon Foot Print, the giants have already started facing issues. Look at some disturbing results :-

Danone, the makers of Evian, Coca Cola, Nestle is observing drop in its sales. Various towns have already started banning the bottled water, not just in the West, but also in India. The Environmental Movement is definitely challenging the Water Makers, and we can easily see the steps they are taking, which can produce some viable solutions to you 

What is happening in the world ?

1) Danone, Pepsi & Coke have already started experimenting with Aluminium Cans.

(The economics need to be worked out.)

2) Pepsi has been investing heavily into Soda Stream, the Domestic Soda Maker. It's an American Trend, not that there are no Sodamakers in India, but has a very select market in place of Drinking Water. There is a brand in India called Mr Butlers , who produce these machines. 

(Pepsi wants to cash more on the value addition, in the CO2 market, which gives it more money.)

3) Pepsi has also come out with a Brand called Drinkfinity, which are actually Pods which contain Flavours from Pepsi, and use Tap Water as the base drink again.

(Again, cashing on the CO2 Market)

4) Coke,Nestle & Danone are going to try introducing Water Purifier with options to add Soda flavours.  

(Again wanting to make more money from the flavours, while not loosing the base water usage)

5) Danone is also willing to use the Water Baloon thing in place of PET Bottles whereas Nestle is experimenting with Paper Bottles.

(Are the baloons same like the water balls ? , About 100% bio degradable Paper Bottles, Nothing much to find.)

This whole information has been taken out from this source article :-

(https://www.ippmedia.com/en/node/70757)

My Observations 

(Besides those in the italics in front of the topics above)

(A) Keep CSD in your Product Mix - Money is there !

The Brands mentioned actually started from Colas, the CO2, and the essence, which is their prominent money making vehicle, they are smartly investing more in the segment having understood the bitter future. This might be the reason why Coca-Cola (if really) is looking to sell out 3 of their plants in India.You can read a separate article written on this. Strategy : De-Invest from future loss making ventures & invest in more profit making products.

# Tip for Indian Water Business Enthusiasts : Start thinking of CSD option : Carbonated Soft Drinks - A better value addition, take step right in time. Should be a great addition to your product mix.

(B) Think of Domestic Purifiers : future trend ...

They have also sensed the importance of Domestic Purifiers, and have started thinking of monetizing with the ready-made tap water.

# Tip for Indian Water Business Enthusiasts : It's also a viable option to veture into Domestic Water Purifiers. See the market on Amazon.

(C) Water ATM will be a right step to enter into !

Water ATM is not visible in any of their Business Models of future. Can't wait to see Bisleri, Aquafina, Kinley Water ATMs flood the towns of India.

# Tip for Indian Water Business Enthusiasts : Take step in Time. This IS THE time to enter into a Water ATM business.

Get trained in Water Business, Attend Training Sessions created for Business Owners eyeing opportunity in this field.

In House Glass Bottling Plant for Own Consumption

Water Bottling Plant for own consumption 

Many Hotels have their own consumption for their guests at their hotel. Currently, they do have arrangements with brands like Bisleri, Qua, Veen, Himalaya, Aquafina etc. This depends upon which type of the hotel is. If your hotel belongs to the Star Category business hotel; then it serves as an excellent branding opportunity + saving earning a good amount of money. 

Is it really worth it ?

If you have a good amount of place + consumption (more than 5000 LPD) , then can be a sensible decision. However, it's still better to find out an existing plant who will do it for you on your name. This way, he takes all the production troubles, while you focus on en cashing your brand name.

Even if you don't have place, but just good consumption, the exercise is really worthwhile.

Is it allowed ?

100% allowed. That's what even the biggies are doing. It's called as 3rd party Production method. You just need to create certain legal structure for that & done.

Glass Bottled Water elevates your image !

Water bottled in Glass has a different brand value to score over those bottled in PET. You can listen to some of my Podcasts where I have shared some of my thoughts about Glass Bottling.

It is Mineral Water, or Packaged Drinking Water, What is it exactly ?

Conversation at a Stall near Railway Station

"Ek Bisleri dijiye" ... a shout at the stall. "Please Give me a Bisleri "

"Are Bhai Bisleri nahi, Mineral Water Kaho Yaar" ... a Moderation "Say Mineral Water man, not Bisleri"
" Abey ye to Packaged Drinking Water Hota Hai, Mineral Water to Bahut Mehenga Hai" Another Edit "Dear, this is Packaged Drinking Water, Mineral Water is very expensive"

People call it different ways ...

For masses, when they buy Sealed, Bottled Water at a stall or shop, they believe they are buying better water, safe water. The trend in India as started by Bisleri, hence they have earned a repute of a brand. But it is not what the BIS (Bureau o Indian Standards) call it. 

BIS recognizes just 2 types

On called as Packaged Drinking Water (Like the 20 Rs Bisleri) and Packaged Natural Mineral Water (Like the 65 Rs. Qua). I have discussed about this through many QnA on Quora + also a special article on What is Mineral Water exactly

Recording of an earlier Webinar on this subject

Whenever you are buying a Bottle ..

• Check the ISI mark on the Bottle (Usually on the Label)
• Also Check the Date of MFG ( On the Bottle Neck)
• fssai Mark

Check the Video :-

If the Bottle doesn't have that, is it fake ?

Not necessarily. Sometimes, many companies produce Vitamin Water like the TATA Water Plus. Or Smartwater by Pepsico. These are approved by the fssai, but not come under BIS premise. These companies use Packaged Drinking Water as the base,raw water, and then prepare their Final product by adding permitted ingradients into the same. Usually this process is carried out at a BIS approved Packaged Drinking Plant itself. See an article on Tata Water Plus.

We also take this subject in details at the Training Sessions. Here is a small glimpse of the same, recorded during one of the training sessions : Recorded Audio

Why is Coca Cola Selling some of its Beverage Plants ?

Is Coca Cola really selling some of its units in India ?

(Listen to the Podcast)

Coca Cola, the global giant beverage producer is all set to sell off its 3 production units, according to this news . It's a good profit making (Last year 373% profit rise) venture for them. Still why are they selling these ? Some reasons might be ...

• Coca Cola is a Global multinational. The costs are much higher compared to the local franchisees, the Indian companies.
• Their Essence selling business (the real secret of Coke) might be having better potential than bottling, which they might be thinking of expanding
• Having run own units for a considerable time, it might be the right time to switchover to franchise model, in a phased manner.
• They may be willing to put the risk of the Plastic Ban (If it comes truely) on the franchisors.

Please share if you think something beyond this.

Is a Franchise really profitable ?

If you scroll below in the post (above mentioned), you will notice a comment wherein the commenter says that Coca Cola Franchisee ultimately starts his own version of Coke within the next year of operation

Franchise or own plant, any plant will close down if not run properly. That's why many Packaged Drinking Plants close their operations in 1-2 years. For a Plant to run (rather any business) profitable, it needs careful investment planning & ROI calculations (Return on Investment). If you do this perfect in 1st place, you won't need to close down. Who will do it with a well established brand like Coca Cola ?

We conduct detailed Plant Cost Calculation Session during training 

During our Live Trainings, or in our Home study Course we have a special session on the Plant Cost Calulcation which prompts the investor as to what will be the costs & the ROI. Listen to a sample recorded session here. And do undertake training in case you are thinking of setting up your water business.

PET Bottle Collection & Sorting Business can be an excellent Business in India !

There is a sudden deep focus on PET Bottles now 

After 15th Aug & 2nd Oct 2019 , things have changed dramatically !

(Listen to Podcast)

On 15 th August, in his Prime Ministerial Speech, Mr Narendra Modi, declared that the Single Use Plastic will be out from Circulation, and it will happen in a phased manner in upcoming 3 years. Meaning, from 2022, there won't be any Single Time Use Plastic in production in India.On 2nd October, the Gandhi Jayanti day, the "Ban" was supposed to be in effect. 

Still, no official News

However, from 2nd October, till date, there is no official news about any "Ban" of any kind. A small relief to the already badly hit Bottled Water Industry in India. And for the PET Bottle Machinery, the Preform People, the Mineral Water Turnkey Suppliers and many whose entire business models contain PET in some way or the other. But don't assume that it's over. Modiji is a dirty fellow, and he DOES what he says. He does enjoy such a reputation. And everyone knows that. Be it Mr Chouhan of Bisleri or Mukesh Ambani of Reliance (whose major business rotates around this), they are very sure Modiji will do it one day. And believe me, the 1 Time Plastic is a killer thing, and should end.

The question is ...

For New Entrants, is this a Threat or an Opportunity ? I have already discussed this on my other post (this blog was not in place then). Considering it as an opportunity, here is where the immediate business opportunity lies : PET Bottles Recycling

From the Phrase itself, it's very clear that the empty, thrown away bottles are collected & re-used in 2nds Plastic Production. (This is the savior for PET Bottle industry). There are machines to do that etc. I am not much talking on that. The real challenge lies in bringing the collection, sorting business in the "Organized" sector. For example, let's have look at a Question asked on Quora meaning ..

"Is there any way a normal average citizen can give PET bottles for recycling in India ?"

This generated 3 answers. All of those except the 3rd one gave some other clues than giving it to the Kabadiwala. There are some startups in this space, but they are general.

I dug further, but could not find an easy place where you just order a vendor (like your swiggy) and your bottles are picked up (At a cost may be). 

Little elaboration could be ...

• Set up a Startup in the PET Bottle Recycling Niche
• Establish a Bottle Crushing Centre 
• Can install Reverse Vending Machines at various public spots, restaurants etc.
• List Kabadiwalas in Locality
• Create an App, Start Promotion
• Start Collecting PET Bottles, Crush them at the centre by separating
• Sell back for recycling (this model is established)

==> Can't it be a marvellous Business Idea ? Please share through Comments please !

# We also run a Podcast , this Idea is more elaborated on the Podcast.