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Can you think of a beverage that's completely preservative-free, contains no artificial flavours or additives, and still boasts an impressive shelf life? Sbooch, a new-age kombucha brand, has announced its official launch at an event with Suniel Shetty in Mumbai entering the Indian beverage market, aiming to fill this exact gap. 

Founded by Niraj Manek and Kajall N Manek, Sbooch is set to disrupt the industry with its line of all-natural, preservative-free kombucha drinks.

The drink is made with all real farm-produced fruits, vegetables and raw ingredients with no artificial flavours or preservatives. 

"We're not just launching a drink; we're introducing a new KULTURE," said Niraj Manek, Founder of Sbooch. "Our kombucha is real in every sense—made with raw fruits, vegetables, and ingredients, no artificial additives, and less than 4 grammes of natural sugar that's produced during fermentation. We're excited to offer Indian consumers pure, unadulterated goodness with no marketing jargon or lies, with any gray filled with clutter,” he added.

Kombucha is one of the oldest drinks in the history of mankind, dating back up to 5000 years and originated in the eastern part of Japan. Now, Sbooch is bringing this ancient fermented tea to modern India, with a twist that sets it apart from anything else on the market. The brand offers a range of flavours that take consumers on a journey across India, touching KULTURE with every sip.

Chef Niyati, the culinary mastermind and founder at Ekaa, behind Sbooch, has crafted an array of unique flavours that capture the essence of the Indian palate and diverse culinary traditions, from North to South and East to West. Among them are Koshimbir from Maharashtra, Gor Keri from Gujarat, and Tulsi Lemon from Uttar Pradesh, among others.

Sbooch has associated with Bollywood actor and fitness icon Suniel Shetty as a partner in this gut-health revolution. 

"As a health-conscious individual, I realized the need for a ‘Wholesome and Guilt-free drink that our Gut loves’, ‘for all age groups’, 'Made in India,' all-natural drink," in this current beverage landscape, said Shetty. "Sbooch is a world of real flavours and ingredients. It's refreshing to find a homegrown brand that offers a delicious, all-natural beverage option,” he pointed.

Paperboat, the packaged drinks maker which started its operation in 2013 is looking to expand to 50 cities by the end of this year, reported PTI.

The company recently inaugurated its second manufacturing plant in Karnataka to cater the South and West region.

Paperboat which has invested around Rs 22 crore in its Mysore-based facility is also planning a branding/marketing campaign for its products targeting the youth.

"The company would start an advertising campaign soon. TV commercial of Paperboat would first time appear on Television screen. We are planning to spend around Rs 10 crore during this quarter," said Neeraj Kakkar, CEO and Co-Founder, Hector Beverages.

After the addition of Mysore plant, the company would have a production capacity of about 10 million packs a month.

"Till now, we were present in only six cities due to limited capacity. This new plant would provide us a chance to expand in new places," added Kakkar.

The company has aggressive growth plans and aims to build its brand through new product launches, exploring newer geographies, improving distribution and also by identifying new-age channels to make these products available anywhere.

Paperboat is also targeting to launch six new variants of packaged traditional drinks before August 2015.

Presently, Hector Beverages is exporting Paperboat drinks to countries including US, UK, France, Canada, Australia, Netherlands, UAE and Malaysia.