Manufacturing demand for water!
It is not easy, I can assure you.
In about 1982-85 when I was doing my CA we used to stay in a very nice, clean and wholesome hotel ‘Shreyas’ in Pune. We used to be doing the audit of Crompton Greaves, Ruston & Hornsby,….etc.. and therefore would live there for a long time.
Shreyas was not 5* but had some foreign visitors – along with their Indian hosts – and we saw them asking for Mineral Water and getting it. We laughed, and then lived on.
Little did I know that I would end up buying ‘Bisleri’ for my own use – about 10 years later! How did the ‘Water’ industry create demand for bottled water? Simple they scared you into believing that tap water is dangerous (the water manufacturer had all the data which showed that tap water and well water was perhaps far far safer than bottled water).
Then they got media to write articles about Jaundice, cholera…..- it made it mandatory for mothers to INSIST that you MUST buy Bisleri if you are thirsty.
Now cut to USA – the sugary cola industry needed an alternate – so the big cola manufacturers launched their own brand of water…
The industry is of course in great shape – but about 4-5 years ago I stopped caring about the ‘quality’ of water. So I drink tap water, filter water, drink the water provided in hotels – and have completely lost respect for the plastic (that super guilt of global warming is reduced) …
Now the US is launching a ‘Drink More Water’ program – Michelle Obama is speaking at Watertown in Wisconsin before launching a huge public campaign about ‘Drink more water’ – hopefully the Americans will drink more BOTTLED WATER – AND these bottles will come to Chennai to be finally laid to rest.
God bless Indians. And India too…
Joel
Correction needed to ” (the water manufacturer had all the data which showed that tap water and well water was perhaps far far safer than bottled water)”
param
what i find amusing is when waiters at 4-5 star restaurants ask if i need bottled or regular water! i simply ask if the regular water is from tap or aquaguard & they sheepishly admit ‘yes’ & save me the money & guilt…
KK
Subra Sir,
Please look into this, Story of Bottled water:
http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-bottled-water/
bharat shah
thank you for bringing to notice that the water manufacturer had all the data which showed that tap water and well water was perhaps far far safer than bottled water.i had impression that the genuine bottled mineral water would be somewhat better than house filtered tap or well water.
similarly i feel, some vested interest might be spreading that some foreign (which generally not produced in india) corns, cereals,such as olive oil, soya-beans (before sometimes),oats possess some extra elements better for health compared to their indian counterparts for marketing them.
sometimes it happened for marketing a costly medicinal nutrient drug.
Bull Bhai
Sir, seems something is wrong with this line.
(the water manufacturer had all the data which showed that tap water and well water was perhaps far far safer than bottled water).