Coke, Pepsi may soon launch iced tea, cold cofee  ( March '27,2004, ET)

With temperatures beginning to rise already, soft drink giants Coke and Pepsi are evaluating the options of launching iced tea and cold coffee through vending machines, apart from dispensing hot beverages.

Pepsi said on Friday that it has begun test marketing tea and coffee (both hot and cold versions) through vending machines in Delhi in a joint venture with Hindustan Lever.

"We have begun test marketing tea and coffee through vending machines in Delhi. This is a joint venture with HLL wherein we will provide them Aquafina water and vending machines while Hindustan Lever will give us the technology," Executive Director Pepsi Foods Subroto Chattopadhyay told reporters here.

He said tea will be under brand name Lipton while coffee will also carry the HLL brand name Brew.

When contacted, Vice-President Coca-Cola India Sunil Gupta told PTI "we do not have iced tea and coffee as yet but we plan to launch these through vending machines shortly"

Besides entering the tea-coffee segment, Pepsi is also evaluating whether to launch other non-carbonated products from among the large global portfolio. Among the products being studied for a possible launch are sports drink `Gatorade' and juice blends, which may come under brand name `Twister'.