Iran-Israel War: Oil prices have already risen due to tensions in the Middle East, and now bottled water prices are also being raised. Bisleri recently increased prices by 11%.

Iran-Israel War: The ongoing conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States is now in its second month. It is already negatively impacting global oil supplies, driving up fuel prices. The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is impacting oil, agriculture, aviation, chemicals, and numerous other industries. Now, India's bottled water sector may also face supply-related challenges.

Bisleri, India's largest company in this sector, recently raised prices by 11 percent, making a box of 12 one-liter bottles cost ₹24 more. Other brands like Bailey and Clear Premium Water have also increased their prices.

"The price of packaged drinking water has risen to Rs 20 per litre due to a sharp increase in the cost of packaging material. The cost of packaging material has increased by more than 70 per cent in the last fortnight," Bisleri CEO Angelo George told Reuters.

Why is the price of mineral water increasing?

Amid the war in Iran, the price of packaged drinking water is rising in the country because the PET bottles used for bottled water are made from polymers derived from crude oil. The war has led to a 50% increase in the price of polymers, pushing the price of plastic granules from ₹115 to ₹180 per kg. A BBC report quoted Vaibhav Saraogi, director of Chemco Plastic Industries Pvt Ltd, as saying, "The increase in the price of PET preforms impacts the entire packaging industry, not just bottled water." PET packaging is widely used in beverages, food delivery, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

Difficulties increased for India.

According to a study by Data for India, approximately 15Difficulties increased for India. 6 percent of rural households in India rely on bottled water to meet their drinking water needs. Vijay Singh Dubbal, president of the Maharashtra Bottled Water Manufacturers Association, also attributed the rising cost of bottled water to rising crude oil prices. He said, "The price of preforms has increased from Rs 115 per kilogram to around Rs 180 per kilogram. Additionally, the supply of preforms has also decreased."

He further stated that approximately 20 percent of the state's bottle-making plants have temporarily shut down. This is a concern, as access to clean water remains a challenge in India. Reports indicate that approximately 70 percent of groundwater is contaminated. Consequently, urban and rural families rely on bottled water, which is now becoming increasingly expensive due to the oil crisis caused by the war.