MUMBAI: As Pepsi and Coca-Cola reignite their decades-long fizzy feud ahead of the the IPL 2025 and the coming blazing summer, dairy giant Mother Dairy has quietly churned up a storm by pouring itself into the beverage battle with an utterly brilliant repartee campaign.
The latest skirmish began when Coca-Cola launched its nostalgic “Half Time, Coke Time” campaign, encouraging cricket fans to reach for the red can during match intervals. Pepsi quickly fizzed back, rebranding the Times of India as the Any Times of India with its “Anytime is Pepsi Time” response – a strategic play reminiscent of their legendary 1996 “Nothing Official About It” campaign that outflanked Coca-Cola’s official World Cup sponsorship.
Pepsi’s effervescent retort listed life’s precious moments – “first time, thirst time, play time, crunch time, winner time, we time, me time” – suggesting their blue brand transcends scheduled refreshment, sparking a social media frenzy with fans bubbling over about the clever wordplay.
Just as the carbonated competitors were locked in their temporal tussle over “half time” versus “anytime,” Mother Dairy skimmed past the conflict with a masterful third-way strategy, unveiling its “Not Just a Drink, but a Lifetime Companion” advertisement. The dairy disruptor effectively curdled both rivals’ messaging by positioning milk as the true timeless beverage.
“Coke claimed half time, Pepsi countered with anytime, but Mother Dairy has completely changed the game with lifetime,” notes a marketing analyst. “It’s like watching two soda brands argue over when you should drink them, while Mother Dairy calmly points out what you should be drinking all along.”
Industry experts suggest this calcium-rich counterpunch represents perfect timing from Mother Dairy, which has milked the opportunity to remind health-conscious consumers there’s a nutritionally superior alternative.
“This isn’t just about stealing attention; it’s about changing the conversation entirely,” explains a consumer behavior specialist. “While the cola giants debate between ‘half time’ and ‘anytime,’ Mother Dairy has moved the goalposts to ‘lifetime’—effectively highlighting that their product doesn’t just refresh momentarily but nourishes permanently.”
In this high-stakes game of marketing chess, Mother Dairy appears to have made a strategic moo-ve that has left the cola kings decidedly cheesed off and scrambling to respond to this unexpected dairy disruption in India’s competitive beverage market.
health guru. Indiqube executive director & COO Meghna Agarwal gets straight to the point, “Women’s economic participation is not just a social imperative but a strategic one, with the power to significantly boost India’s GDP.” And yet, despite the high-decibel conversations about equality, many women still find themselves playing a never-ending game of ‘prove yourself’ while their male counterparts get automatic upgrades.
Lifescience Ltd. joint managing director Shivani Wagh points to the Union Budget 2025-26, which allocated Rs 4.49 lakh crore for gender-focused initiatives-a 37.5 per cent boost. “With over 14 per cent of Indian enterprises led by women, women-led entrepreneurship is on the rise,” she states. But there’s a catch. Access to the capital is still harder for women than finding a cab during peak hours. For every woman who secures funding, dozens more are stuck navigating a maze of bureaucracy and bias.
Paper policies sound great, but until the money starts flowing into real businesses, they’re just glorified wish lists.
women. “Women are the driving force of change, shaping industries, breaking barriers, and redefining success on their own terms. This Women’s Day, we celebrate their brilliance, resilience, and unstoppable spirit. At Solitario, we believe every woman deserves to shine, not just beautifully, but powerfully, just like a diamond: strong, radiant, and timeless. Let’s Bling it!” she exclaims.
Meanwhile, SIG Group head of market, India & Bangladesh, Vandana Tandan insists that equality needs to move beyond paper promises. “Real progress in any industry depends on recognising and valuing the unique talents of every individual. International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to building workplaces where equal opportunities are more than just a policy, they are a reality,” she says. In other words, let’s ditch the lip service and get down to business.
marketing, Aanchal Sharma weighs in on the shift in leadership dynamics. “The stigma around women in leadership has not just changed. It has been challenged by women who refused to accept the notion that they did not belong. This shift has not been a single sweeping revolution but a series of quiet and persistent actions. A woman speaking up in a meeting despite being interrupted. Another negotiating her salary without apology. One balancing ambition with empathy without feeling the need to justify either. These everyday acts, multiplied across millions, have reshaped leadership.”
