​Caliente launches in India

The journey of Caliente continues, with the first shipment soon to reach Indian soil. The Malmö based start-up has teamed up with Uma Ekologisk, run by Annupam Agarwal as distributing partner. This will be the third export market with official distributors; Caliente is already present in Denmark and Norway.

Annupam saw the gap in the Indian market for premium non-alcoholic drinks targeting urban young adults. And when looking for truly new ideas in global drinks innovation, he stumbled upon the great review of Caliente by Drinkpreneur – a leading community for beverage entrepnenurs in Europe.

- Everything with Caliente was uber cool and non-heard of in this part of the world. The functionality and taste of chilies in combination with the Swedish exoticness … I instantly felt it would become a great success over here! Anupam explains.

He’s optimistic because of the Indian preference for spicy foods, but also since Indians consume very little alcohol on a global comparison. Most states have “dry days” and seven Indian states has gone as far as prohibiting sales of alcohol, including Gujarat where a Caliente launch is planned for summer 2017.

A growing interest in international foods and drinks shows that timing is just right. Meanwhile, Caliente is one of few organic non-alcoholic beverages sold at a premium price and to be consumed at adult drinking occasions. Most Indians relate “premium” to alcoholic drinks, meaning that Caliente’s exclusivity and price need to be explained and exploited.

- Selling chili to Indians may seem like selling ice to eskimoes, says Caliente’s founder Thomas Adner. Our vision is to make it a little easier to choose non-alcoholic, without compromising. We aim to continue to shake things up, and India is definitely a step in the right direction, this can be huge.

The first bottles will be found in premium retailers and high-end restaurants in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore early March 2017. After another 2-3 months, a second phase includes Chennai, Huderabad, Chandigarh, Goa and Ahmedabad.

For general press enquiries, please get in touch with Erika Ollén, Marketing Director at Caliente via erika@drink-caliente.com

For queries regarding opportunities in India, please get in touch with Annupam Agarwal, Director Uma Ekologisk:

+91 97 94 51 51 51 or annupamagarwal@gmail.com