Coca-Cola India Scales Hydration, Accessibility and Local Employment at Magh Mela 2026

NEW DELHI, India, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Building on its successful participation at Maha Kumbh 2025, Coca-Cola India is strengthening its presence at Magh Mela 2026, supporting one of India’s largest cultural gatherings through scaled hydration access, local employment generation, and consumer-centric experiences across Prayagraj and key travel corridors.

In line with the scale and economic significance of the Mela, Coca-Cola India’s participation goes beyond brand visibility to enable livelihoods and support local enterprise. In partnership with its bottling partner – SLMG Beverages, the company has deployed an on-ground ecosystem that ensures access to hydration while creating income opportunities for small vendors and neighbourhood retailers. This includes hydration carts operated by local entrepreneurs, along with cooler deployments at food courts and retail outlets to enable consistent availability of chilled beverages.

Sundeep Bajoria, Vice President – Integrated Operations, Coca-Cola India & Southwest Asia said, “What makes Magh Mela truly distinctive is how it brings people, livelihoods, and local enterprise together at scale. As a living economic ecosystem, it is supported by the Uttar Pradesh government’s thoughtful planning and execution. Working closely with SLMG Beverages, we are enabling seamless beverage availability and hydration for millions of visitors, while creating employment opportunities for local vendors and contributing to socio-economic growth across the region.”

A core pillar of Coca-Cola’s presence at Magh Mela is empowering local ecosystems and deepening community connect. Through its Locally Yours campaign, the company strengthens a neighbourhood-first approach by expanding access to chilled beverages while celebrating local retailers who are central to serving customers and sustaining communities across the Mela.

Paritosh Ladhani, Joint Managing Director & Board Member, SLMG Beverages said, “At SLMG Beverages, we are enhancing the Magh Mela 2026 experience by leveraging our retail and distribution network. Through partnerships with retail outlets, food courts, and hydration carts, we are making refreshment accessible to visitors. This approach not only strengthens supply chain efficiency but also supports local vendors, creates economic opportunities, and aligns with Coca-Cola India’s commitment to making a positive impact on communities.”

Anandana – The Coca-Cola India Foundation, through its #MaidaanSaaf initiative, is supporting responsible waste management and visitor infrastructure at Magh Mela 2026 in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The initiative enables organised waste collection and the deployment of public utility infrastructure made from recycled plastic waste across the Mela area, including changing rooms designed to enhance public convenience while demonstrating the practical reuse of post-consumer plastic in high-footfall public settings.

About Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola in India is one of the country’s leading beverage companies, offering a range of high-quality and refreshing beverage options to consumers. The company, in line with its vision of ‘Beverages For Life’ offers a wide portfolio of products which includes hydration, sports, sparkling, coffee, tea, nutrition, juice and dairy based products. In India its beverage range includes Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke, Thums Up, Thums Up XForce, Charged, Fanta, Limca, Sprite, Sprite Zero, Kinley Soda, Rim Zim,  Maaza, Minute Maid range of juices and Honest Tea. The Company also offers hydration beverages including Limca GlucoCharge, Smartwater, Kinley, Kinley Copper, Dasani and Bonaqua packaged drinking water. Premium products constitute Schweppes’ range and Smartwater. In addition, it offers a Costa Coffee range of tea and coffee. The Company is constantly transforming its portfolio, from reducing sugar in its drinks to bringing innovative new products to market.

The Company along with its owned bottling operations and franchise bottling partners has a strong network of close to 5 million retail outlets through which it refreshes millions of consumers across the country. It seeks to positively impact people’s lives, communities and the planet through water and packaging initiatives, sustainable agriculture and emission reductions across its value chain.

Globally together with its bottling partners, The Coca-Cola Company employs more than 700,000 people, helping to bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.cocacolacompany.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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