Quenzy Soda: Transforming the Healthy Beverage Experience in India
In an age where 10-minute deliveries have become the norm, when ultra-processed foods are on the rise, where irregular eating habits are becoming alarmingly regular, an entire generation’s gut health is being adversely affected. According to a survey, close to 50% of Gen Zs and Millennials report conditions such as constipation and bloating, while nearly 30% admit to having recurring gut problems.
Anushka Sharma also faced similar issues, having had IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) since birth. The catch was that she was a foodie but and couldn’t help reaching out for them at a given opportunity. So, necessity here became the best business partner, and she created Quenzy Soda, a brand of delicious prebiotic sodas, easy on the gut and enduring on your taste buds. Interestingly, the name of the brand is derived from combining quench and Gen Z. With Gen Z increasingly craving healthier options, the name perfectly personifies their business ethos.
As of now, they have three flavours – blueberry, orange cream and cucumber mint. Each can she assures, has zero added sugar, zero preservatives and five grams of fibre and less than 15 calories.
Founder’s Background and Industry Numbers:
She used to work as a computer engineer, having worked in the Bank of America for two years, post which she pursued an MBA from ESCP Business School in London. After completing her Master’s, she’d have short stints at L'Oréal and Amazon to get deeper insights about customers.
These stints gave her a better understanding of how to run a consumer company and manage logistics. When asked about the reason behind starting Quenzy, she gives a two-pronged answer. The first is her personal gut health-related problems. India’s soda industry is close to Rs 60,000 crores today, with the health soda segment accounting for about Rs 600 – 800 crores.
During the conversation, she shared some eye-opening insight. Last year, there were just three healthy soda brands, and now that number has jumped to 33. So, a personal pain point, along with market insight, incited her to start the brand.
Building in Public and Overcoming Struggles:
When asked about what makes the brand unique, she boldly claims she is creating a lifestyle brand and rather than vaguely positioning themselves as a low-cal drink, they specifically mentioned that their beverage has fewer than 15 calories with three unique flavours
The next aspect she believes is a very founder-led brand-building approach. Anushka actively builds on public platforms, documenting her journey so that audiences get a better understanding of her business, which helps build trust and credibility. In a candid moment, she shared that cucumber mint was her personal preference, but orange cream was the fan favourite and flies off the shelf. Started in July 2025, they’ve sold over 80,000 cans as of writing.
Talking about struggles, as easy as it has become to start a brand, it's become equally difficult to scale a business. Building distribution, along with 40% GST on their product, meant paper-thin margins and expanding into quick commerce platforms is easier said than done. Logistics was another tough muscle to build initially.
Discussing advice for new entrepreneurs, she states that branding is as important as the product that you’ve created. Having clarity in communication concerning what you’re selling to the consumer, hacking their five-second attention span and a go-to-market strategy ready before launching.
Her parting advice echoed Zakir Khan’s lines on working hard.
‘Mehnat karne se ho jata hai.’
So, work hard and make it the foundational pillar of your business and life in general.