Aerated drinks are become part and parcel of the Indian lifestyle. Taste is the main factor which drives the demand of the product. Urban areas report a dramatically high consumption of aerated drinks as compared to rural areas. Be it children, the college kid or the middle aged Indian soft drinks are enjoyed by one and all in the country. Especially after the influx of a number of fast food joints in India soft drinks have gained more popularity. Food like pizzas burgers and French fries go hand in hand with soft drinks. Aerated Beverages is an important sector in the country because it not only contributes to export earnings of the country, but is a revenue driver for other industries such as glass, refrigeration, transport, paper and sugar. Despite several issues that crept up regarding the ingredients used behind the manufacturing of soft drinks the market remained stable. Aerated drinks are enormously popular beverages consisting primarily of carbonated water, sugar, and flavorings. Soft and aerated drinks were considered products for the middle class and the affluent. That segregation is no more valid. Soft and aerated drinks are consumed by all except those who cannot afford to buy any drink. An NCAER study says that 91% soft drink sales are made to the lower, middle and upper middle classes. The soft drink industry has been urging the government to categorize aerated waters (soft drinks) equitably with other consumer products of mass consumption and remove special excise duty. As flavored carbonated beverages gained popularity, manufacturers struggled to find an appropriate name for the drinks. Some suggested marble water, syrup water, and aerated water. The most appealing name, however, was soft drink. The process of dissolving carbon dioxide gas is called carbonation. It results in the formation of carbonic acid (which has the chemical formula H2CO3). Soda water is generally of two kinds, viz. Plain Soda Water (Aerated Soda Water) and Flavored Soda Water (Aerated Beverages). In Plain Soda Water, Carbonic Acid Gas (CO2) & Sodium-by-carbonate solution under pressure is mixed with pure water. Flavored Soda Water contains flavors of lemon, ginger (Masala Soda), milk rose, mango, pineapple, etc. in syrup base and this preparation is also made using carbonic acid gas (CO2) under pressure. Soft drinks constitute the third largest packaged food segment in India after packaged tea and packaged biscuits. But the penetration level of carbonated soft drinks in India is still low compared with other developing markets, an indication for further potential for rapid growth. The 60-bn-rupee soft drink industry is growing now at around 5% annually. In India, Coke and Pepsi have a combined market share of around 95% directly or through franchisees. Campa Cola has a 1% share, and the rest is divided among local players. The market size for bottled water in India has been estimated at 570 US $ million in 2008. With an annual growth rate of 14.5 percent volume sales of bottled water will increase rapidly within the next five years. The market size for juice will grow also dynamically within the next years with an annual growth rate of almost 15 percent. The per capita consumption of soft drinks in India is around 5 to 6 bottles (same as Nepals) compared to Pakistans 17 bottles, Sri Lankas 21, Thailands 73, the Philippines 173 and Mexico 605. According to indiastat.com, the 72-billion rupee soft drink industry is growing at 6 to 7% annually. In India, Coke and Pepsi have a combined market share of around 95% directly or through franchisees. The demand for aerated drinks is currently 373 million and is expected to be around 479 million by the year 2014-15. The market growth rate is expected to be 3.5% from 2009-10 to 2014-15. There is a very good market potential and good scope in this sector. New entrepreneurs should venture into this field. Few Indian Major Players are as under: Aradhana Soft Drinks Co. Arihant Agro Products Ltd. Cadbury India Ltd. Dempo Industries Ltd. Devyani Beverages Ltd. Duke & Sons Ltd. Fresh & Honest Cafe Ltd. Golden Anchor Pvt. Ltd. Hindustan Coca-Cola Mktg. Co. Pvt. Ltd. Indo European Breweries Ltd. New Kenilworth Hotel Pvt. Ltd. Parle Bisleri Pvt. Ltd. Pearl Beverages Ltd. Pepsico India Holdings Pvt. Ltd. Sri Sarvaraya Sugars Ltd. Varun Beverages Ltd.