Bottling Nostalgia: Nikhil Doda, Co-Founder, Director & COO of Lahori Zeera

Entrepreneur

a day ago

The flagship drink, Lahori Zeera, isn't your average soda. It's fizzy, yes, but it's also fortified with black pepper, dry ginger, lemon juice, cumin, and a carefully calibrated mix of salt and sugar, effectively making it India's sassiest electrolyte drink
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In 2017, three co-founders with a nose for nostalgia and a palate for possibilities launched a fizzy rebellion against the sugary sameness of Indian beverages. Armed with cumin, ginger, and a firm belief that the Indian drinks aisle needed more soul (and fewer synthetic flavors), Lahori Zeera bubbled up into the market. Fast forward to 2025, and the brand now sells over 5 million bottles daily during summer, commands shelf space in over 8 lakh outlets, and clocks in a gross revenue of INR 743 crore. Not bad for a company that started with a "humble manufacturing facility" and a dream to make "Desi the new cool."
"Ethnic Indian drinks is a big category which was unexplored and no brand was focusing on the same," says Nikhil Doda, co-founder, director & COO of Lahori Zeera. The team saw a white space in a market drowning in global flavors, and instead of a fruit fusion drink, they decided to bottle Indian nostalgia with a twist of carbonation.
The flagship drink, Lahori Zeera, isn't your average soda. It's fizzy, yes, but it's also fortified with black pepper, dry ginger, lemon juice, cumin, and a carefully calibrated mix of salt and sugar, effectively making it India's sassiest electrolyte drink. "The moment people take a sip, they immediately connect with the burst of tangy, authentic flavors, reminiscent of a homemade desi drink," says Doda. In a market flooded with neon-coloured fizz bombs, Lahori Zeera manages to straddle the fine line between indulgence and familiarity. While the brand started with just Zeera, it has since grown a full cast of desi co-stars like nimboo, shikanji, kacha aam, imli banta, masala cola.
The business model is as crisp as the drinks. Everything is manufactured in-house or via trusted co-bottlers, then distributed through a network of 2,000+ distributors across 17 states. General Trade (GT) is still the apex, accounting for over 90 per cent of sales, but quick commerce is bubbling up with potential. "Quick commerce makes perfect sense for a product like us where people can solve for their cravings," says Doda. Currently, it's just 1–2 per cent of the pie, but given India's appetite for immediate gratification, don't be surprised if that slice grows quickly.
As of now, 65 per cent of Lahori's business comes from North Indian states like Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, where the brand's been around long enough to have cult status. But newer territories are catching up. You'll find Lahori now across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and more. And although the UAE and other GCC countries are calling, Doda says they're focused on meeting explosive domestic demand first. International expansion is on the cards just not before they've quenched every last Indian thirst. "As a team we have plans of launching the brand in GCC countries within the next 2 years."
For FY 2024-25, Lahori closed with a net revenue of INR 530 crore and a gross revenue of INR 743 crore. With 1800+ employees and INR 175 crore in funding raised, the brand is sprinting. And FY 2025-26? "We strongly feel that no number is too big for the brand," Doda says with the confidence of someone who knows what it takes to build a billion-dollar beverage.
Lahori Zeera didn't just create a product, it reminded an entire generation raised on colas and canned mocktails that desi flavors don't have to be dusty relics of the past. They can be bold, fizzy, and mainstream.