– History of Double Seven
– Double Seven was an Indian soft drink brand
– Launched in 1977 after Coca-Cola left the Indian market
– Developed by Modern Food Industries to fill the void left by Coca-Cola
– Manufactured and marketed by the Indian government
– Formula for the concentrate developed at Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore
– Had a lemon-lime variant called Double Seven Tingle
– Lost market share due to lack of government support under a new administration
– Modern Food Industries taken over by Hindustan Lever Limited in 2000
– Thums Up, another brand launched in 1977, continued to thrive
– Competition and Market Position
– Main competitors were Campa Cola, Thums Up, Dukes, McDowells Crush, and Double Cola
– Despite government backing, Double Seven could not dominate the market
– Double Seven filled the void left by Coca-Cola’s exit
– Thums Up eventually became more popular than Double Seven
– Modern Food Industries faced financial challenges and was taken over
– Legacy and Decline
– Double Seven was the winning name in a national competition
– Double Seven’s decline started when a new government was not supportive
– Indira Gandhi’s government did not support products linked to 1977
– Double Seven program was considered successful despite market challenges
– Hindustan Lever Limited took over Modern Food Industries
– References
– The New York Times article on the decline of Double Seven
– Book “India 50: The Making of a Nation” by Ayaz Memon
– Article on how Thums Up became popular in India
– Historical information from Coca-Cola India
– Book “American Khichdi” by Sunil Lala
– Further Reading
– Business Today article on the brand that refused to die
– Book “Advertising Management: Concepts and Cases” by Manendra Mohan
– Ministry of Food Processing Industries information on Modern Food Industries
– Book “Changing Face of Processed Food Industry in India” by Rajat K. Baisya
– Department of Disinvestment information on Privatised Central Public Sector Enterprises
Double Seven was an Indian soft drink brand. It was manufactured and marketed by the Indian government after Coca-Cola quit the Indian market in 1977 due to changes in government policies. Double Seven was launched at the annual trade fair at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi as a gift by the then ruling Janata Party.
 | |
| Type | Cola |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Modern Food Industries |
| Country of origin | India |
| Introduced | 1977 |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Flavour | Cola |
| Variants | Double Seven Tingle (lemon-lime soft drink) |
| Related products | Thums Up, Campa Cola |
In 1977, as per the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act brought by the Morarji Desai government, Coca-Cola was required to reduce its ownership stake of its Indian operation. Coca-Cola along with other United States companies chose to leave India than to operate under the new laws.
Developed to fill the void left by Coca-Cola, Double Seven was quickly designed, named by a national competition for naming the product, manufactured and marketed by Modern Food Industries, a government-owned company. The formula for the concentrate of Double Seven was developed at Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore. Despite government backing, Double Seven could not dominate the Indian soft drinks market, however the program was very successful as the void left by Coca-Cola was filled. The main competitors to Double Seven were Campa Cola, Thums Up, Duke's, McDowell's Crush and Double Cola. Double Seven also had a lemon-lime soft drink known as Double Seven Tingle.
Double Seven was the winning name in a national competition to name the drink. The drink lost share of market as Indira Gandhi's government that came to power a few years later was not interested in supporting a product which reminded them of 1977, the year that Indira Gandhi lost the national elections and other drinks like Thums Up became very popular. Modern Food Industries gradually slipped into the red and was taken over by Hindustan Lever Limited in January 2000.
Thums Up, which was also launched in 1977 after the departure of Coca-Cola, continued to thrive until its eventual takeover by Coca-Cola.