Escaping Globalization with Campa Cola!

(Thane) There are few companies that have reaped more benefits from globalization than Coke and Pepsi. It seems that the taste of ice-cold cola is as close to a universal human craving as there is, and these two companies have mastered the formula. It doesn’t matter where you go. From the world’s richest cities to its poorest and most isolated villages, you cannot escape the dueling logos of Pepsi and Coke as the two brands vie for dominance.

In India, this is no exception, and Coke and Pepsi are ubiquitous here. But this is actually a recent development. The pre-1991 Indian government, influenced by Gandhian ideas of national self-sufficiency, completely banned both Coke and Pepsi from being sold here. In their place was Campa Cola. This was an Indian imitation of Coke, and it was the primary available cola in India before 1991. Once the global brands entered the marketplace, Campa was in serious trouble, and some people had told me that it no longer exists.

The other day, however, I made a surprising discovery. It was a scorcher, over 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and I decided I needed to stop for a cold drink. I pulled over at this little roadside shack:

To judge from the crates on the right of the picture, it looked like I was going to be drinking Pepsi. So I was surprised when the proprietor reached into his cooler and pulled out a bottle of Campa Cola. The drink was slightly less carbonated than Coke, and had a softer, almost floral taste. To be frank, it wasn’t as good as either Coke or Pepsi, and it’s not surprising that it has lost almost all its market share.  There’s no doubt that globalization has made our lives better overall. But there’s still a certain charm in having something a little more local and unique. So, in the interest of preserving a tiny piece of the past, I’ll be stopping here again, and raising a Campa Cola to ward off the brutal India heat.

Tags: Campa Cola, globalization, heat, India