The non-alcoholic beverage market is buzzing with variety and fierce competition. This Report dives into evolving consumer needs to help brands thrive in this challenging landscape.
Energy remains a top priority for Indian consumers, whether sourced from functional foods, beverages or supplements. Interestingly, modern consumers are now looking for more nuanced energy benefits from non-alcoholic drinks. These include instant energy, sustained energy release, enhanced focus, mood elevation and even a sense of calm. The Report explains how brands can stand out by addressing these emerging and largely untapped needs in the Indian market. Further, it identifies the top features of interest in energy-focused non-alcoholic drinks.
Hydration benefits are gaining attention in both Indian and global markets, as consumers recognise its health importance. Climate change and active lifestyles are driving the move from basic to advanced hydration with electrolytes. This Report explores the key trends and insights in the hydration space.
While functionality plays a vital role, flavour exploration remains central to the category’s appeal. The Report highlights flavours that captivate consumer interest and curiosity but remain largely untapped in the market.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Decoding evolving energy needs: identifying the diverse facets of energy consumers seek from packaged non-alcoholic drinks.
- Features of interest in energy-focused non-alcoholic drinks with a focus on sugar reduction/elimination and fortification with micronutrients and botanicals.
- Exploring how hydration is emerging as the new pillar of modern wellness and energy – with a focus on launch activity, consumer interest, formats and ingredients, association with other health benefits.
- Exploring new flavour possibilities in non-alcoholic beverages, with a spotlight on coffee-inspired notes, herbal blends, tropical tastes and cocktail/mocktail-inspired creations.
Differentiate by meeting demand for varied energy needs – instant, sustained and emotional – while keeping products free from added sugar. Elevate hydration into a gateway for all-round wellness.
Anamika Banerji, Senior Research Analyst – Food and Drink, India
Market Definitions
Non-alcoholic beverages refer to refrigerated or shelf-stable liquid drink varieties, such as carbonated drinks, energy & sports drinks, juice drinks, smoothies, ready-to-drink (RTD) flavoured milk, lassi, chaas, buttermilk, flavoured vitamin water, RTD coffee and RTD tea.
It excludes hot beverages like tea and coffee.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Mintel’s perspective
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Overview
- Position hydration not just as refreshment, but as a core wellness benefit
- Graph 1: non-alcoholic drink launches featuring hydration benefit*, 2020-25
- Tap into the rising hydration trend
- Energy needs from non-alcoholic beverages are diversifying
- Consumers seek healthy energy solutions
- Capitalise on interest in exploring the bold buzz of coffee flavour
- Graph 2: interest in trying coffee flavour in select drinks, by region, 2025
- The outlook for the Indian non-alcoholic beverage category
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KEY TRENDS AND MARKET FACTORS
- What you need to know
- Consumers seek healthier choices in RTD beverages
- Indians are on the lookout for better nutrition
- Graph 3: agreement with attitude statements about healthy choices, 2025
- Graph 4: top factors when shopping for food*, 2025
- The need for healthier RTD beverages is gaining ground
- Graph 5: frequency of looking for healthy products when choosing packaged ready-to-drink (RTD) products, 2023
- Graph 6: features considered important when choosing a healthy version of packaged ready-to-drink (RTD) product, 2023
- Younger, urban, affluent Indians are prime targets for functional RTDs
- Graph 7: consumers who look for healthy products when choosing packaged RTD, by age, region, city tier, socio-economic class, 2023
- Brands are differentiating with functional claims
- Sports nutrition and energy drink patents have increased five-fold over the last decade
- Graph 8: patents related to sports nutrition and energy drinks, published each year, 2014-24
- The need for mental wellbeing is poised to shape non-alcoholic drink innovation
- Indian consumers recognise the role of mental health for holistic wellbeing
- Stress and eating show a growing connection
- Metro Indians lean towards non-alcoholic drinks that boost mental health
- Graph 9: agreement that drinks that improve mental health are appealing, 2023
- Brands are addressing the growing need for mental relaxation
- Savvy shopping is gaining momentum
- Mintel Trend: Prove It
- Conscious consumerism is on the rise
- Social media influencers guide consumers to research products before making a purchase
- Consumers are critical of ingredients, plus and minus claims in non-alcoholic drinks
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- What you need to know
- Hydration now enjoys all-day relevance and is expanding into new territories – beauty, energy and beyond
- The hydration trend is growing in the Indian beverage market
- Graph 10: non-alcoholic drink* launches featuring hydration benefit**, 2020-25
- A shift from viewing hydration as a basic necessity to a prominent lifestyle focus fuels the hydration trend
- Metro dwellers lead in seeking the wellness power of hydration from packaged drinks
- Hydration enjoys all-day relevance
- The spotlight is moving beyond basic hydration toward advanced hydration, with electrolytes emerging as essential ingredients
- Upgrade consumers to smarter hydration
- Make functional hydration accessible to the mass market
- Coconut water is well-placed to provide healthy hydration to young Indians
- Create drinks with coconut water for healthy hydration
- Enhance the hydrating qualities of coconut water for sport and fitness
- Blur beverage boundaries to boost hydration benefits
- Relate hydration to different aspects of health
- Offer hydrating drinks that promise beauty benefits
- Position hydration as part of beauty routines
- Marry hydration with energy and muscle recovery
- Upgrade hydration to provide all-round wellness
- Case study: Cadence adds value to hydration with energy and sleep benefits
- Patent update: enhancing hydration in sports and dairy drinks
- Decoding consumers’ thirst for energy
- Unlock energy’s potential to cater to India’s wellness needs
- Graph 11: non-alcoholic drink* launches featuring an energy claim, 2015-25
- Energy is poised to fuel India’s wellness needs
- Energy is evolving
- Graph 12: energy-related benefits of interest in packaged non-alcoholic beverages, 2025
- Unlock the right energy for every part of the day
- Graph 13: energy-related benefits of interest in packaged non-alcoholic beverages, by consumers seeking energy in different day parts, 2025
- Steady energy release can be a differentiator, particularly for men, over-35s and West-region dwellers
- Graph 14: interest in steady release of energy from packaged non-alcoholic beverages, 2025
- Formulate to deliver energy without the crash
- Power up with protein for steady energy release
- Young Indians are keen on emotional and mental energy
- Mental energy: the next frontier in beverages
- Offer drinks that brighten the mood
- Open up new ways to relax and unwind
- Address the need for staying sharp throughout the day
- Graph 15: interest in improved mental focus in packaged non-alcoholic beverages, by day part, 2025
- Be a trusted aid for staying sharp
- Features of interest in energy-focused drinks
- Ingredient overview: micronutrients are key ingredients in energy-boosting products
- Graph 16: non-alcoholic beverage launches with energy claim featuring different ingredient groups, 2020-25
- Consumers want energy delivered the healthy way
- Graph 17: features of interest in packaged non-alcoholic beverages that provide energy, 2025
- Interest in low/no-sugar options spans across demographics
- Graph 18: interest in sugar-free or low-sugar options in packaged non-alcoholic beverages that provide energy, 2025
- Graph 19: avg added sugar (g per 100g/ml) in energy and sports drinks, 2024-25
- The low/reduced sugar movement is gaining ground in Indian sports & energy drinks
- Graph 20: sports & energy drink launches featuring select sugar-related claims, 2020-25
- Global inspirations for delivering energy without the sugar guilt
- Indians associate vitamins with energy and seek a vitamin/mineral boost from energy drinks, especially in the morning
- Graph 21: interest in added vitamins and minerals in packaged non-alcoholic beverages providing energy, by part of day for seeking energy, 2025
- Elevate the health appeal of caffeinated energy drinks with vitamins
- Unleash the power of vitamins and minerals for natural energy
- A peek into emerging micronutrients in Indian sports & energy drinks
- Graph 22: micronutrients and related products in sports & energy drinks, 2017-24
- Ingredient watch: leveraging CoQ10, biotin, choline for energy benefits
- Botanicals are particularly valued for providing steady energy release and calmness
- Graph 23: interest in use of botanicals/herbs in packaged non-alcoholic beverages that provide energy, 2025
- Highlight the steady energy benefit of herbal ingredients
- Noobeing offers calm and focus with its ‘modern resilience drink’
- Herbal ingredient landscape in Indian sports & energy drinks
- Graph 24: herbal substances in sports & energy drinks, 2017-24
- Indian brand Fokus employs botanicals and vitamins for healthier energy
- Unlocking flavour opportunities in non-alcoholic beverages
- Capitalise on the bold buzz around coffee flavour
- Graph 25: interest in trying coffee flavour in select drinks, by region, 2025
- Status quo: coffee flavour is gaining traction in the Indian nutritional drinks category
- Coffee flavour is a new entrant in the global market for sports/energy drinks and CSDs
- Global inspirations for elevating coffee flavour through speciality coffee notes
- Mintel Spark envisions a mocha-flavoured sports drink
- Tap into the emerging appeal of herbal flavours
- The global sports/energy drinks market is exploring herb flavours
- Graph 26: herb flavour landscape for sports & energy drinks, 2017-24
- Elevate energy drinks with the freshness of herb flavours
- Build on the better-for-you vibe of juice drinks with herbs
- Meet the desire for tropical escapes and mocktail twists in juices and energy drinks
- Graph 27: interest in trying tropical flavour in different packaged non-alcoholic beverages, 2025
- Graph 28: interest in trying mocktail/cocktail flavour in different packaged non-alcoholic beverages, 2025
- Give a tropical upgrade to the beverage aisle
- Elevate everyday drinks with a mocktail makeover
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APPENDIX
- Report definition
- Consumer survey methodology
- Correspondence analysis
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