Thums Up
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:Thums up.jpg Thums Up is a carbonated soft drink that is very popular in India, where its bold "thumbs up" logo is common. It is similar in flavor to other colas but has a unique taste reminiscent of betel nut. Introduced in 1977 to offset the expulsion of the Coca-Cola Company and other foreign companies from India, Thums Up, Limca and Campa-Cola gained nationwide acceptance.
With India's increasing economic liberalisation, which culminated with major reforms in 1991, many multinational companies entered the Indian market. Pepsi and Coca-Cola re-entered the country after prolonged absences in 1988 and 1993, respectively. Thums Up was acquired by The Coca-Cola Company in 1993 from Parle, which now promotes it as a masculine drink. In the 1980s, Thums Up ads featured the slogan "Taste the thunder!", and in the 1990s with an increase in bottle size from 200ml to 250ml, it was dubbed the "Maha Cola" (Maha means great). This nickname gained popularity in smaller towns where people would ask for "Maha Cola" instead of Thums Up.
Coca-Cola now has about 60.5% of Indian Market but if takes out Thums Up, it would remain with only 28.72% of the market, according to a report by NGO Finance&Trade in India. The product tastes a bit stronger than regular Coke.