Homegrown beverage brand Lahori Zeera is gearing up for a major leap in production, distribution, and product innovation — all part of its bold bid to become a national cola-category challenger. Backed by fresh investments and a growing pan-India footprint, the company is now positioning itself as a serious contender in India’s competitive soft drinks market.
The brand is investing ₹175 crore to set up a new manufacturing facility in Lucknow, which will operate at 4,000 bottles per minute (BPM) in two phases. The first phase — consisting of three lines — will be operational within the next few months, with two more lines set to launch by February 2026.
“With this Lucknow plant, we’re doubling our capacity,” said Nikhil Doda, Co-founder and COO of Lahori Zeera. The brand currently runs two plants in Vapi (1,500 BPM) and Punjab (2,500 BPM).
As part of its Series B funding round, Lahori Zeera is aggressively expanding through a co-bottling franchise model, aiming to establish a manufacturing unit every 300 kilometers across India. Four such partnerships have already been signed — two in Uttar Pradesh and two in South India — each with a 500 BPM line.
“This is a model we’ve built over two years. Standardized, scalable, and critical to making Lahori Zeera a household name,” said Doda. The brand plans to establish 20–25 co-bottling facilities over the next two years.
While 90% of the company’s revenue still comes from its flagship jeera-based carbonated drink, Lahori Zeera is ready to diversify. The company is stepping into the ready-to-serve (RTS) beverage category with four new product launches.
Among them is a new flavour called Chatpata Aamras, which underwent successful trials in Delhi and is expected to launch nationally in January 2026. “We’re hoping Chatpata Aamras becomes our second hero product,” said Doda.
Currently, Lahori Zeera draws 60% of its sales from northern regions including Delhi, Punjab, NCR, and Himachal Pradesh. It is now present in 18 Indian states, although 5–6 of those markets are in the early stages of penetration.
The brand has a robust general trade network with over 2,500 distributors and availability in 5 lakh general trade outlets. “We aim to scale to 3,000 distributors by March 2026,” added Doda.
Lahori Zeera has secured two key funding rounds:
· $15 million Series A (January 2022) from Verlinvest
· $23 million Series B from Motilal Oswal
Despite raising capital, the founders continue to retain 66% ownership.
In terms of financial performance, the company closed the last fiscal with ₹535 crore in net revenue and is targeting ₹800 crore by the end of this fiscal. The brand currently enjoys 10–12% EBITDA profitability.