todays earthquack

An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter Scale, with its epicenter in Pakistan, shook parts of North India on Saturday morning.

The Bhuj earthquake of 2001, which flattened parts of Kutch region in Gujarat, measured 6.9; the Latur earthquake, which caused extensive damage in Maharashtra in 1993, notched 6.4.

Your quake experiences

Your quake experiences Back | Next  Sat Oct 8 13:17:15 2005 Name: VINEET SANTOSHI Email: vineet_santoshi@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: I was driving my bike to office on red signle my bike is moving like a boat i was supriesed every body was looking each other this nature City: New Delhi Sat Oct 8 13:17:46 2005 Name: NEERAJ Email: neeraj.bhatia@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: Everything was quiet.Suddenly things started shaking.. we could see shaking window blinds and everbody was havin an indifferent and experience City: New Delhi Sat Oct 8 13:18:04 2005 Name: Sunil Macwan Email: rushi_intl2003@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: Never to say....This was a great exp. of my life....like a high BP of a man, the heart beat increased.. the same way i wast felt the earth beats... City: Anand Sat Oct 8 13:18:19 2005 Name: archana Email: archanamishra@yahoo.co.in Quake Experience: i was waiting for my friend outside her hostel suddenly i found that someone is pushing me after some time i realize that it was earthquake City: chandigarh Sat Oct 8 13:18:32 2005 Name: A.Murali Reddy. Email: muralireddya@yahoo.com Quake Experience: I am In Kabul it is around 8-30 am just I am reading my mails on laptop suddenly on my table laptop shaking little bit immediately run away from office, but still I have fear may be earth quake come again. A. Murali Reddy. City: Kabul Sat Oct 8 13:18:47 2005 Name: Abhijit Das Email: abhijitdas86@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: Our aquarium in our house in New Delhi crashed onto the ground and the sofa moved from one end to the other. City: New Delhi Sat Oct 8 13:19:09 2005 Name: karthik Email: karthikv22@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: I wremember the time as i was jus lookin at my watch.we were waiting for our college bus.me and my friends were sitting on a platform. I felt a sudden movement I initially felt that it was my head that was spinning. , so when everyone felt the same way we then thought it was the platform. When we reached college, we got to know that it was a quake. City: Dehradun Sat Oct 8 13:19:24 2005 Name: debashis Email: debashis_mazumdar@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: i was talking to my colleague, when we felt a sudden tremor and saw the computers shaking and the fan swinging, all the people in the office started vacating luckily nobody got injured, and there was no damage to building, but pretty horrifying experience. City: New Delhi Sat Oct 8 13:19:52 2005 Name: PANKAJ Email: PANKAJ_JAIN1985@REDIFFMAIL.COM Quake Experience: I WAS NOT ABLE EVEN TO FEEL IT City: DELHI Sat Oct 8 13:20:05 2005 Name: Sanjeev Email: sanzy_28@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: I was in office..... and it was like somebody is pushing my chair then after few minutes i came to know that its earthquake... but its tooooooooooooo scary... Thanks to God Almighty that we are safe City: Vaishali (Ghaziabad) Sat Oct 8 13:20:19 2005 Name: sanjay Email: vo12da@yahoo.com Quake Experience: Arround 9:25 am my computer started shaking, I thought its elelc. prob.Next my chair started shaking.I thought my friend is doing something.but he was bussy with pfone.Then i saw almira it was also swaying.Then i saw the one cable which was shaking.At that moment i relised tha it is an earthquake.Me & my friend rushed to open space. City: baddi,distt:solan,Himachal Sat Oct 8 13:20:56 2005 Name: juned umer Email: umer_80@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: Today morning at 9.25 am I am sitting down infront my computer in the office. suddenly something is hanging in our top. I so anxes. In running out the office. We are so nerves & after 10 minutes we are relaxing. J&K is very upset God bless him. City: Chandigarh Sat Oct 8 13:20:57 2005 Name: G. Agrawal Email: grics@sify.com Quake Experience: Well it was around 9.00 I was standing in my factory which has a small water pool. Suddenly the water starts shaking and the 1/3 water just overlowed. Then I hear the clattering of the factory windows. By the time we evacuated the building it was all over. We could see the entire shed shaking. Luckily there was no damage caused. City: Kathua Sat Oct 8 13:21:00 2005 Name: T R Balakrishnan Email: trbala2005@rediff.com Quake Experience: Not felt in New Mumbai City: New Mumbai,Maharashtra Sat Oct 8 13:21:17 2005 Name: Shahzad Email: bunny2000@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: As you know it is the holy month of our ramzan going on, we slept so late after taking sehri(pre dawn meal)but we had to wake up early yo attend office.I was reciting Quran in loud voice and my mother was also in other room. We live at the fourth floor of our building. Suddenly i felt some viberations. I adjusted my chair as it is of some shaking nature and started again on Quran but again i felt even the table over which i was doing the same. I looked back my sister was on her bed in other room complaining that some thing has moved inside her bed and viberating it my mother also felt the same. in no time we took a final nod that this is an earthquake. we started jumping stair by stair but instantly i thought ofmy third floor family whose husband goes office early in the morning she must be left with her two wards she would be feeling helpless. I knocked out her door and lifted her one of the child and asked to run as she by the time now has also felt the tremor. Thus, we all just came out of the building and escaped the high shocking tremors to fall on us. City: New Delhi Sat Oct 8 13:21:40 2005 Name: SANJAY GUPTA Email: gupta_law@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: I was in Metro train, when quake came, so we could not expereince anything. On reaching office, I came to know about this massive quake. City: New Delhi Sat Oct 8 13:21:49 2005 Name: sarvesh sharma Email: sarvesh_net@sify.com Quake Experience: I was opening the shutter of my shop as somone from behind told me that dont go inside it is earthquakd .but i Have not felt it but looking at the sky cables are flactuating like when wind blows fast nothing serious City: Karnal Sat Oct 8 13:22:10 2005 Name: chandra mohan v r Email: chandramohanvr@yahoo.com Quake Experience: just having my breakfast. had a feeling of wave motion for about 20 seconds...............I mean a sort of flying in air....... City: Delhi Sat Oct 8 13:22:21 2005 Name: parmods Saxena Email: springchitran@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: When I feel earthquake that time i was busy with my son. i live in 4th floor. i was sitting with my child on the floor. i said there is Bhukamp. My child was confused what is going on. Everybody of my family rushing towards main door to get down immediately. My wife was more tense in this situation. she asked to me ran away but i said don't run because at this time you can't reach the ground floor. When everything was settled down my whole family got down the building. At that time every ssociety member was out of their flats. After that everybody was sharing their experiences. City: panchkula Haryana Sat Oct 8 13:22:22 2005 Name: Rajeev Ranjan Email: irajman@gmail.com Quake Experience: I experienced the quake much before it came, the couple in our neborhood were having a row over something and the whole colony could hear it. I awake by the utensils and their grudges, and said to myself "The earthquake is here...." Lo! 2 mins...and the quake came...my bed started moving, i thought my roomoe might have left the door open, and have gone! I checked beneath the bed whether any dog, or anything was creating mischief. I was still half asleep! I found nothing, just then a book kept on the cupboard above my head feel over ...and I realised what was it! I got out of home, and the parrot was shouting in the cage "Mithu..mithu.." well...just then the couple suddenly retorded to silence. And i realised quake was over! City: ghaziabad Sat Oct 8 13:22:44 2005 Name: shahzad Email: bunny2000@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: As you know it is the holy month of our ramzan going on, we slept so late after taking sehri(pre dawn meal)but we had to wake up early yo attend office.I was reciting Quran in loud voice and my mother was also in other room. We live at the fourth floor of our building. Suddenly i felt some viberations. I adjusted my chair as it is of some shaking nature and started again on Quran but again i felt even the table over which i was doing the same. I looked back my sister was on her bed in other room complaining that some thing has moved inside her bed and viberating it my mother also felt the same. in no time we took a final nod that this is an earthquake. we started jumping stair by stair but instantly i thought ofmy third floor family whose husband goes office early in the morning she must be left with her two wards she would be feeling helpless. I knocked out her door and lifted her one of the child and asked to run as she by the time now has also felt the tremor. Thus, we all just came out of the building and escaped the high shocking tremors to fall on us. City: New Delhi Sat Oct 8 13:23:08 2005 Name: Tiddi Email: tiddi_x@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: it was a good saturday morning and i was having ny breakfast when the aquarium's water, started shaking rapidly , all the fish were on one side of the aquarium and even my table and the chairs started shaking, that was the time i realised that it was an earthquake, i took my family and ran out of the building in which i stay on the first floor, the shakes were there for a good 2 minutes. All the pple who live in our building came out of their apartments. Thank God no damage was done. City: New Delhi Sat Oct 8 13:23:16 2005 Name: Mohit Prashant Email: mohitprashant@yahoo.com Quake Experience: I was having a breakfast and suddenly i felt that my chair was moving and i thought of a GHOST!!! My friend infront of me shouted on me...Why r u shaking so fast??? I wondered and tried to control my chair but all in vain..and then suddenly i heard people shouting...BHOOKAMPP!!! City: Delhi Sat Oct 8 13:23:24 2005 Name: chander shekhar sharma Email: cshekhar81@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: i was working at my work place when i observed that my legs are trembling and some thing is going out of under my feet. then i realised that it was an earth quake that rocked b\my town of hamirpur. in the meantime, there was noise of earthquake and hundreds of people came out of their shops and houses. one of them fell from his chair. however, so for no loss to life and property has been reported from any part of the hamirpur district in himachal pradesh. City: hamirpur (HP) Sat Oct 8 13:23:58 2005 Name: sanjay.s. Email: s_vichare@ventura1.com Quake Experience: i was not a witness for the bhuj earthquake,but we reached bhuj on 28 th morning...we left bombay on 26th evening,reached ahmedabad,,,shopped goods for the affected people and proceeded to bhuj....we stayed in kutch for 6 days...visited around 20 villages and distributed the goods personally...we 10 of us got the ultimate satisfaction in life...we contributed individually for this good cause...each one to his own capacity....we thank god for having given us the strength and courage to serve our fellow indians.... City: mumbai Sat Oct 8 13:24:26 2005 Name: Bhanu Email: bps102@hotmail.com Quake Experience: I was about to enter my office building(3-storey)when i saw people rushing out of it before i could understand people in and around offices and factories also came out on road. some were running towards their vehicles to take them to safe place. It was really unique experience in eight years i have been here City: Noida Sat Oct 8 13:24:37 2005 Name: K C SAHOO Email: krishna_ss1@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: The earth quack was felt in Delhi also. At cannaught place I was sitting in office at 6th floor when the table and newspaper started shaking.The chair also started shaking. I could not understand immediately. Then all from the office started vacating and rushed outisde the building. Realy the experience was shocking. I pray God to help the affected people in J & K and Pakistan.Administartion and International AID agencies should help the affetcted. GOD BLESS ALL City: Delhi Sat Oct 8 13:24:59 2005 Name: Balaji Email: balaji09@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: January 26th, 01 I was in my house and my wife and baby (5 months) were at my in laws house. I was alone with Snoopy (my dog, a labrador)and since previous day snoopy was very restless and was not sleeping and disturbing be in the night and had tied him up which i had never done and in the morning i took him out and came back and had my b.fast and at 8 snoopy started running around the house and barking in balconies and then went to the cupboard where his leash was kept and barked and then went to door and barked and this continued for about 15-20 minutes and he even jumped on me to take him out and i was not listening to him so he got angry and went below the dining table and vomited (dogs can do this) in anger, then i went to the balcony to get some mud from the flower pot to clean the vomit and then everything was quite and not single a bird was chirping and then there was this loud bang and balcony railing shook a little and i thought the train going next to my house must have banged into something but the railing started rattling and then i thought that pakistan must have sent a stray bomb on ahmedabad and hwen i looked into my room i saw the fan swinging from one side to another and then realised that this was quake and whole building was shaking and then i ran out and snoopy came in front and caught his collar and ran with him out.Came back after the shaking stopped and packed a few things and immediately went in the car with snoopy and my person from the office who had come for some work and while going to my in laws place i saw 2 apartments of 5 floors falling like a pack of cards.then i reaslised why snoopy was so impatient and thereafter for a few days whenever he behaved slightly abnormally everyone owuld be out of the house with snoopy in tow and this became a sign and all neighbours also used to come out since ours was a 10 storyed apartment block City: Ahmedabad Sat Oct 8 13:25:18 2005 Name: varinder sharma Email: varinder_4@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: hi, That was my 2nd-3rd experience of earthquakes. At 9: 22 AM i m sitting in my office and suddenly i felt that my chair was moving then i suddenly saw a bottle of water it shakes i ran away outside the premises, people from native companies also gatherd outsides. i saw a loaded truck shaking in front of me. then i rang to my home , my mother told me that she was lying on bed after free from kitchen & suddelny she felt the bed was moving and they ran outside the house they saw our car is also moving., peoples are gathered on roads. we are discussing with our collegeous & friends. but after sometimes we back to normal. thanks GOD no one is hurt. City: Chandigarh Sat Oct 8 13:25:46 2005 Name: Sundaram Email: mohansundar123@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: I am working in the computer . Suddenly I felt computer and my tables are skaking . Some feeling in my body . Suddenly sparks in my mind it is a Earthquake and i informed my colleages suddenly we gone to open terrace . It was great Experience in my life . No casualites . City: Faridabad Sat Oct 8 13:25:55 2005 Name: gensharma Email: gensharma@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: My cooler was shaking vogorously and water came out of it. It was horrible. City: Chandigarh Sat Oct 8 13:26:22 2005 Name: Mayank Shukla Email: mayank_er@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: I was having my tea at a dhaba near IIT Delhi, Ber Sarai when for the first time in my life experienced the tremors,firstly i thought that it was due to my bad health but when i saw crowd of people coming out from their homes i realized that something was unusual and when i talked to them they also felt the same and all of us waited outside our houses for half an hour and then returned to our rooms with a fear that it may strike again. City: New Delhi Sat Oct 8 13:26:33 2005 Name: Niranjan Email: lniranjan@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: Now that I'm no more in that company, I feel free to talk about my ex boss & his 'black' tongue. It was the July of 2003 in northern Italy when my colleague & I were travelling with my ex boss on a train. We were passing through rocky mountains of the Dolemite range when my boss asked the other passengers if there has ever been an earthquake in this part of the world, considering its geographical nature. The others answered with an almost angry hint of 'NO' as earthquakes were almost unheard of in this region since humankind set foot. Everyone but my ex boss expressed surprise. We alighted at Bozen station & were waiting for our escort when a mile long freight train passed the station. A few seconds after it passed through, there was a loud roar for a couple of seconds. We were certain the freight train had derailed. A few seconds later there was louder roar & the earth shook violently for about 10 seconds. Everyone in the platform of this otherwise laidback place was at their feet, themselves shaking like a leaf. The sturdy structure of the platform somehow reassured us all's fine. My colleague & I looked distastefully at our then boss. It was Northern Italy's first earthquake since humans inhabited the region. City: Mumbai Sat Oct 8 13:26:51 2005 Name: ANIL BATRA Email: anilbatra2000@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: I was in toilet when this happend, my bath tub and whole bathroom was shaking, this was continue for 1 minuts atleast. Then i go to my Hall Room, and watch the news, and there was the Breaking News for Earth Quake. City: NEW DELHI Sat Oct 8 13:27:13 2005 Name: rajesh Email: rajeshveena@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: quake very bad in the chandigarh region City: chandigarh Sat Oct 8 13:27:16 2005 Name: jack Email: kebaojack@rediff.com Quake Experience: shock,fear, City: New delhi Sat Oct 8 13:27:21 2005 Name: Anand Kumar Email: anandmandhian@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: I was at mess in a boarding school.When ground shook then it seemed to me that i am feeling uncoscious but later i realized that it was a mild earthquake. City: Dehradun Sat Oct 8 13:27:49 2005 Name: samarendu Email: samarendu_saha@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: The duration and way very things swings make me feel that if epicenter is quite away from here (Delhi) than it would have cause a great damage to man and material City: Delhi Sat Oct 8 13:28:06 2005 Name: Harinder Email: hpsangha@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: While walking I was feeling headche and I was unable to put my foot on the road at the spot I intend to do. City: Chandigarh Sat Oct 8 13:28:36 2005 Name: chirag bhavsar Email: chirag010678@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: no experience about this earth quake. City: ahmedabad Sat Oct 8 13:29:06 2005 Name: Rupesh Kumar Das Email: rupesh_eil@yahoo.com Quake Experience: We were working in the office in Panipat Refinery and all of sudden our computer and table startes shaking. Then we ran out of the office along with our fellow colleagues City: Panipat Sat Oct 8 13:29:14 2005 Name: a.k aprson Email: bhushan_arora01@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: Pray to God many times during and after the tremors/quake that such should not happen on earth. Really heart beat is still there. City: Amritsar Sat Oct 8 13:29:14 2005 Name: Manoj Rawat Email: m20s10rawat@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: I was alone at Home and enjoying bed. Suddenly, I felt that my bed is shaking and time was arund 9.25A.M then I thought that it is only my dream but when it was for more then two minutes then i understood that it is earthquake which was having slow rate. Peoples of our society have come outside from their flats and discussing about the quake but I had to go to office so I had been engaed in my routine works and reached to office at 10.30A.M. City: Noida Sat Oct 8 13:29:26 2005 Name: Jalandra Email: jalandrakk@yahoo.co.in Quake Experience: At that time, i just put my scooter on stand and started moving towards my office, but suddenly i heard the shouts from from the neighborhood and i thought it was because of festive season. Then I saw people from my office as well as from other places running towards in open area and everybody was saying - "bhookanp aa gayaa" and then i also noticed that a vertical water steel pipe wass shaking for few seconds. When the things settled, i phoned to my wife and she told me that in kitchen when she heard the noise of shaking utencils she thought of a mouse creating problem. My mother sitting on a chair thought her son had been shaking her chair. On top floor of our building, even double bed got shaked and all the people started coming out from the houses. I t was really shockable....and unbelievable. Thanks. City: NOIDA Sat Oct 8 13:29:35 2005 Name: Imran Khan Email: jamia97@hotmail.com Quake Experience: I was sitting in my office on the ground floor in C.P when suddenly my chair started shaking. I thought that maybe I am not feeling well and it is all an illusion. It was only when I saw people running out of the building that i realised that it was an earthquake!!! nquite a SHAKY experience!!!!!! City: New Delhi Sat Oct 8 13:29:54 2005 Name: O.P.SOMANI Email: somaniop@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: I was sitting before my computer email to my friend. At the send commabd I felt giddy and my chair vibrating. I removed my specks and cleared my eyes. But It was still the same. Then suddenly my wife from bathroom declared, hey its an earthquake. We quickly stepped down from the fouth floor to go in open .By that time most of the people were already gathered. City: NOIDA Sat Oct 8 13:30:02 2005 Name: saurabh singh Email: saurabhsingh_78@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: i was sitting in my room around 9:10 am and reading news paper. then i was feeling like every thing is moving. i ran towards outside. and call all other my room mates. and all of us ran towards outside. then we realise that it was earth quake. thank god we are safe. City: jaipur Sat Oct 8 13:31:16 2005 Name: mukesh Email: mukesh65@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: was about to leave office, when my wife said its a earthquake, i thought i was having some giddiness but later carefully concentrating reallised she was right and asked all of them to come out, the best was when i went to my paanwalla to enquire, he said he thought that the first paan he had for himself- he seems to have added more of jarda and was spitting since he too felt giddiness. City: new delhi Sat Oct 8 13:31:49 2005 Name: Pramod Email: Pramod009@rediff.com Quake Experience: This is my third live encounter with the Earthquake, the first two are minor one, but todays quake is really major, as i am praparing to leave for the Office suddenly felt that the my legs are shaking, felting something wrong with me, but quickly recognize the massive movement of the Earth, call my brother (watching TV) and my MOM (In kitchen)to come out in open as quake has struck. Now everybody around were in panic and come out of their houses,my MOM who is very religious in nature start praying to GOD to save all from this, the quake was so massive that we can't even stand properly, the quake keep jurking the earth for about 4-5 minutes, the electricity goes-off and Telephone line become dead for a while. It is really an experence of life-time. I am still in shook. But as Jammu is a city of Temples, with the grace of God we all in Jammu are safe. The Govt. have to take a lesson from it, and keep its machinery on high alert to copp-up with any evantuality. As Old Jammu is really in a bad shape and a quake like this can make extensive damage there. God Bless u all. City: Jammu Sat Oct 8 13:32:09 2005 Name: namitha Email: namitha_2001us@yahoo.com Quake Experience: it was in the morning around 9-30 or so,we all just started our PCs,checking mails etz.Suddenly glass with water shaking,chairs all shaking..and then some screams,,Earthquake!!!!Thats It..A Spark of all the thbngs which i saw on Tv abt Earthquake came in to mind!!and I just ran out of my office with my collegues and called up my home to make sure all are safe City: Delhi Sat Oct 8 13:32:21 2005 Name: prasoom Email: williamphilip007@hotmail.com Quake Experience: I was tying my Shoe lese at that time when earthquake come my bed was twisting like a boat I just shouted (Mami bukam aa raha hai) that time my mom was making for me roti she also shouted and my brother was studien at another room he was studien in his bed he was also saying that my bed was also twisting like a boat we all come out from our house when I seen that our electric post was shaking This inset end was really shocking for me. City: Noida, UP, India Sat Oct 8 13:33:06 2005 Name: Sandeep Kumar Email: sand_bambha@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: I am resting on bed that time,and in one moment there was big shout in my locality,"sab bahar niklo"_ _ _ again and again. City: New Delhi Sat Oct 8 13:33:11 2005 Name: s.gnanavel Email: sgnanavel@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: I was taking my breakfast in my office , felt that my chair revolving as well as up & down . i thought of giddiness because we were worked yesterday full night. Then all rest of the people also rushed outside the office to the open yard. this is my first experience and it was much thrilling experience. City: Khatauli , Sat Oct 8 13:33:16 2005 Name: Karthik Email: fermisoft@yahoo.co.in Quake Experience: We felt the tremors for around 30 seconds. They were quite strong. No casualities in our area. City: Noida Sat Oct 8 13:33:38 2005 Name: Partha Pratim Dutta Email: partha050@gmail.com Quake Experience: I was getting ready for my office when this happened. Initially I did not feel anything although my mother kept saying that there is an earthquake but I ignored it. Then I noticed the water in the bottles kept on the dining table were shaking then I realised that it really happened. Immediately I alongwith my mother ran out of my 3rd Floor apartment to the ground. There were people all around shouting and yelling. For a while I was under shock. I immediately called all my sisters in Delhi and was relieved to know that all are safe. City: Delhi Sat Oct 8 13:33:54 2005 Name: Amit Joshi Email: amitduttjoshi@rediffmail.com Quake Experience: It was horrible, Me and my colligue were sitting on the chair and both were moving , we were on the forth floor of of the building, we came out of building through stairs.... experiencing quake on stairs also.... i skipped three stairs while coming down... Thanks to god we were safe but ou legs were shivering... still shivering... City: Jaipur

hey is COCA COLA & PEPSI ON THE WAY OUT

hey is COCA COLA & PEPSI ON THE WAY OUT

[http://in.rediff.com/money/2005/jun/25spec.htm]

Drink that fizz out

Sangeeta Singh June 25, 2005


Dabur Foods and PepsiCo, market leaders in the Rs 180 crore (Rs 1.8 billion) juice industry, need to watch out this summer, for the heat may scorch them. There are no less than 10 other non-carbonated drinks in the market, four or five in the juice segment itself.

Top on the list of newcomers are Tuk 3, Kohinoor and B Natural. While Kohinoor comes as a guava-apple mix, B Natural is a mixed fruit cocktail with apple, strawberry and banana.

To wean customers from their usual apple or orange juices, these players are not only offering fruit concoctions but also offers like buy-one-get-one free and have flooded the shelves of superstores.

Not just that. Biggies like Hindustan Lever and Amul have launched their new drinks and are cashing in on their distribution networks to make quick inroads all over India.

While Amul's Masti Spiced Buttermilk is available even at the Vaishno Devi shrine, Lipton Ice Tea is selling in metros and mini metros. Besides, energy and health drinks are proving good alternatives to high-calorie carbonated waters.

Cashing in on the trend of young consumers looking for healthy products, Hindustan Lever Limited has launched a 250-ml glass bottle of iced tea for Rs 9.

The company is targetting young adults in the 18-28 year age group. "Out of home and on the go consumption among the younger generation is increasing and Lipton Ice Tea, which offers natural vitality, responds to this," says an HLL spokesperson.

To give its consumers a truly international experience, Lipton IceTea is also available in 245 ml cans, 200 ml vending cups and one-litre tetrapacks for Rs 20, Rs 10 and Rs 49 respectively.

Gujarat Milk Cooperative Marketing Federation's Masti Spiced Buttermilk (masala chhach) is being retailed across the country through its 3,000 odd distribtutors. And with the consumers' ever-growing craze for healthy food, this sub-50 calorie drink has caught on very well.

Priced democratically at Rs 5 for a 200 ml pack, this drink is also helping BJP workers maintain their cool and is liberally being served at the party headquarters in Delhi.

Then there is Mother Dairy's Safal brand which is seen as a major competitor. Mother Dairy claims Safal offers absolute value for money. It sell its one litre juice under the brand name Safal at Rs 60. Dabur's Real and PepsiCo's Tropicana are in the Rs 65 plus category.

This season the company is introducing mango and guava variants. And Paul Thachil, CEO, Mother Dairy is hopeful that Safal can be one of the largest selling juices because of its distribution network and low price. "With 1,400 outlets and Safal being 10-15 per cent cheaper than its competitors, we have an edge," says Thachil.

But PepsiCo has not given up as far as adding novelty is concerned. It has added mango and guava nectar flavours to its Tropicana range. Also, it's launched a special edition of Mirinda, the Batman Blast Berry Fusion for two months, as an in-and-out drink.

The drink is a combination of grapes and black currant, and according to Lloyd Mathias, executive vice president, PepsiCo, is based on thorough research. However, Pepsi's idea is different; it is to commemorate the release of the Hollywood blockbuster Batman Begins.

These drinks are available in 200, 300 and 600 mls priced at Rs 6, 8 and 18 respectively. "The special edition is Pepsi's endeavour to offer its customers something new. For instance, we launched Pepsi Blue during the world cup," says Mathias.

Again, Dabur Foods's Real, which claims a 60 per cent marketshare, has added lemon-barley and muskmelon variants to add to the Coolers range of aampanna, pomegranate and watermelon this summer.

Dabur does sales of Rs 7 crore (Rs 70 million) out of its Rs 110 crore (Rs 1.10 billion) juice business. It has also experimented with combining fruits and vegetables, and has just launched orange-carrot-mixed fruit, cucumber-spinach-mixed fruit and beetroot-carrot-mixed fruit juices.

With prices in the Rs 65-68 /litre range for most of the brands and Rs 78 for the new fruit-vegetable category, Real juices are perceived to be expensive.

"Not really, Tropicana is more expensive than us. Besides, we are still the largest player in the juice segment. That illustrates that people are ready to pay for quality," says Amit Burman, CEO, Dabur Foods.

Dabur and Tropicana also seem to have withstood competition in the past, when Leh Berry with seabuckthorn made waves in the market two years back.

If market sources are to be believed, Ladakh Foods, the company making Leh Berry, ran into problems with the Jammu & Kashmir government over sourcing of seabuckthorn. But for those hooked on to seabuckthorn, there is hope in Tuk 3, which uses this.

For sportsmen and gymmers, Austrian energy drink Fullpower has made inroads into India. Priced at Rs 75 for a 250 ml can and with just 42 calories, the drink may give the existing energy drink, Red Bull which sells at Rs 95, stiff competition.

"Loaded with vitamins, taurine, caffeine and glucuronolactone, it does not only replenish our essential body fluids but also gives us more energy," says Ajay Hasija, managing director, Fullpower.

The company is currently selling through retail outlets in metros and Hasija claims 70,000 cases have already been sold since its launch in February.

Fullpower is also aiming to sell the drink through outlets in gymnasiums and sports complexes. Red Bull or Fullpower are also being used by bartenders for making cocktails.

Since only 15-20 per cent of the people are juice-drinkers, there is room for the market to expand. And with all the choice, prices are bound to come down as well.

It's a win-win situation -- only, despite all the innovation, the names seem to be getting sillier and sillier. What does Tuk 3 mean?