An obviously irked Coca Cola has rejected the allegation in a very strong manner.

As per the report, it has been found that Coca Cola has been responsible for around  Rs 84.16 crore worth of damage to agriculture, Rs 62.10 crore cost to pollution of water sources, Rs.20 crore each for cost of water provided and wage loss and opportunity cost and Rs 30 crore loss on account of various health problems. The report was submitted to Kerala’s Water Resources Minister N K Premachandran by a nine-member committee with Additional Chief Secretary K Jayakumar at the helm. The panel has also called upon the government to take steps to set up a tribunal and compensate the loss suffered by the villagers of Plachimada.

In response to the report and the alleged findings, Coca Cola has said that the panel was set up based on the unproven assumption that the company had caused damage in the Plachimada area. Minister Premachandran has said that the report would now be examined by the government and suitable action would be taken.

The K Jayakumar panel had been set up by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government led by VS Achuthanandan last year. The panel members had visited the areas around the Plachimada plant at least four times and sat with the villagers to know of their woes. Significantly, not once did a panel-Coke officials meeting happen, and the reason being said is that the Coke officials never appeared before the committee.

The content of the report now out in the open, many are a happy lot on Plachimada. The Adivasi Samrakshana Sanghom (ASS), which had been fighting against the Coca Cola company, has welcomed the panel’s report and has subsequently urged the Kerala government to recover the damages from the soft drink giant. ASS has, in fact, demanded Rs 4,500 crore, taking into account the loss incurred by this operation on the future generations too.

The Plachimada plant of Coca Cola was set up in 1999 with the blessings of the then Left Chief Minister and Communist veteran E K Nayanar. However, things went out of control for the company after a sustained campaign against the plant gained momentum. The plant had to be closed down in 2004.

Burn, priced at Rs 75 for a 250-ml can, is one of the most successful energy drinks from Coca-Cola’s global portfolio, the company said in a statement.

According to the company, the launch of Burn in India will be followed by “a large-scale, below-the-line” marketing activity and that it is set to extend further its portfolio in the energy-drink segment.

In a phased rollout, Burn will be at first available in select outlets in 3 major Indian cities – Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

The statement from the company said that Burn is targeted at the “trendsetting, socially active and adventurous young adults” who need energy to “experience life to the fullest.”

The energy drink Burn is selling well in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Austria, Italy, Poland, Australia, Russia, Ukraine and South Africa.

Coca-Cola India mostly sells carbonated drinks in India – including Coca-Cola, Limca, Sprite, Fanta, Thumbs up, Maaza, Kinley, Minute Maid, and Georgia Tea & Coffee.

The so-called energy drinks are in fact soft drinks which their makers claim to provide energy and enhance the physical activity of the drinker.

Energy drinks, instead of giving food energy – which is measured in calories – are concocted to raise the mental alertness and physical performance of the user, thanks to the presence of ingredients such as caffeine, vitamins and, in some cases, herbal supplements. These substances give the drinker a stimulant effect that is over and above what is derived from caffeine alone.

Typically, energy drinks contain methylxanthines (including caffeine), herbs, vitamin B, acai, guarana, taurine as well as various forms of maltodextrin, ginseng, carbonated water, carnitine, creatine, inositol, ginkgo biloba, and glucuronolactone.

“The latest communication ‘Vishwas Karo’ brings forward Kinley’s belief that a little bit of trust can restore faith between people, within oneself and in the basic goodness of life at large,” Avinash Pant, director – Still Beverages, Coca-Cola India said.

“We are looking forward to greater heights in the Kinley Journey,” he further added.

The TV commercial will focus on situations where individuals have to choose between trust and mistrust.

Ajay Gehlot,Creative Head, Ogilvy &Mather, Delhi, has been quoted as saying, “For almost a decade now, Kinley has stood for trust in every drop (Boond-Boond Mein Vishwas). In fact, Kinley today can be synonymous with trust.”

“In this day and age, most of us have not only stopped trusting each other, but even our own instincts. The new communication from Kinley, thus urges people to rediscover trust in each other,” he added.

The marketing campaign is being handled by  Ogilvy & Mather.  Carolisa Monterio has lent her voice to the new jingle and the lyrics have been written by Amitabh Bhattacharya. The TV commercial has been directed by Vinyl Mathew.

Avinash Pant said that Coca-Cola aims to connect with the consumers through this campaign. Talking about the time of the launch, he said, “the category is relevant at all times of the year. Water is a basic necessity and there is demand for it throughout the year.”

Other marketing activities in the Kinley campaign would include out-of-home media and a range of on-ground activities.

The new Coca-Cola Kinley ad campaign will not feature any brand ambassadors.

Kinley, currrently, has a 10.3 per cent market share in the packaged water industry worth Rs 2200 crore. The company also plans to expand its portfolio with products like flavored packaged water but these plans are still in the pipeline.