For Svami fans (yes, the beverage brand, not a relook at the retro charms of Malgudi and its protagonist), the season brings cheer anew as the brand has launched new drinks to expand its already considerable range. It has also tied up with global luxury conglomerate LVMH to launch limited-edition drink mixers. In the relatively short time since Svami’s launch in 2018 with tonic waters, it has grown to be a preferred name in mixers and non-alcoholic beverages in the country. Its recent launches, 2 Cal Cola and Salted Lemonade, are both aimed at the health-conscious market. While the 2 Cal Cola possesses zero sugar, the Salted Lemonade is made with natural lemons and contains low sugar. “There has been an increasing need for an upgrade in the segments of lemonade and cola,” points out Sahil Jatana, CEO & co-founder, Svami Drinks. “These two beverages are probably the most loved and versatile dual-purpose beverages, whether as a mixer or as an RTD (Ready to Drink). We have also decided to price these cheaper than our other products to get people into our Svami universe. We see these products open more doors for us in non-metro markets and category B retail stores.” The Svami Cola and the Svami Salted Lemonade retail at Rs65. “We want to change the way non-alcoholic beverages are perceived,” adds Jatana, who launched the brand along with Rahul Mehra and Aneesh Bhasin. “When we finally launched our non-alcoholic range of RTD beverages, the premise was that when you go out to drink or want a drink at home, why should you be limited to the same old ‘mocktails’ that have been available. When we launched with our tonic waters in 2018, we were the first to introduce flavoured tonic waters. During the pandemic we realised that more and more people were getting conscious about the calories they were consuming, hence the 3 Cal tonic water was introduced.” According to a recent report released by ResearchAndMarkets.com, the non-alcoholic beverage market in India is rising fast due to rising awareness about the need for healthier lifestyles, rising disposable incomes and a rising number of people opting for non-alcoholic drinks with their meals. Statista predicts the market is expected to grow annually by a CAGR of 9.01 per cent during 2021-2025. Even more significantly, superior taste was the most important factor for most consumers. “Taste is key, irrespective of the drink being alcoholic or non-alcoholic,” Bhasin said earlier this year. Svami now has 12 SKUs – five tonic waters, a ginger ale, a soda, three non- alcoholic RTDs, a lemonade and a cola. “The 3 Cal Tonic is our top seller on our website and on Amazon,” says Jatana.