Bollywood actor Bhumi Pednekar is currently basking in the success of her recently released Netflix film, The Royals. Apart from her acting prowess, she has added yet another feather to her cap by launching a beverage brand, Backbay, with her sister Samiksha Pednekar as co-founder.

For the unversed, the Pednekar sisters had been working on the brand for the past two years and set up a manufacturing unit in Himachal Pradesh, where they package “natural mineral water.”

How much does the water cost?

Bhumi Pednekar and Samiksha Pednekar gave several interviews promoting their brand where they revealed the story behind their brand, its name and the pricing of the product. Speaking with CNBC-TV18, Bhumi shared, “It is our own facility in Himachal. We have put up our own plant and we are very proud of it. And, our workforce is led by women because that’s just the kind of value system we wanted to inculcate within our brand. Our capacity is 45,000 boxes a day. We have a large capacity.”

She shared that the packaging is unlike the plastic and glass bottle that is often seen in the market. “Our packaging is specifically called Gable Top Paper packaging. We have also gone a step further and our cap is actually a bio cap,” she said, adding they are the only ones in India using this kind of packaging.

Backbay won’t just be a water brand but a premium beverage brand with more line of products being under R & D. Speaking to Business Today, Samiksha shared, “We also have sparkling water in the line with three flavours: Lichi, Peach and Lime.”

In a chat with Business Today, they also revealed the pricing of their debut product. Bhumi shared, “We have 2 SKUs which are 500 ml and 750 ml and as far as pricing is concerned, we have priced it at right in the middle of very expensive plastic variant and the least expensive glass variant. The plastic is up to Rs 90 and glass goes up to Rs 600. My 500 ml is at Rs 150 and my 750ml is at Rs 200. It is premium water, but we wanted to keep the pricing as such that we wanted it to be accessible to people.”

She claimed, “Today, Indian customers are ready to pay that money for energy drinks, so here we are giving you a product that is something as essential and basic as water and it is good water, water that will give you the kind of hydration it is supposed to give.”

Explaining the reason behind the pricing, Bhumi shared, “We are Himalayan premium water. My water is full of minerals and electrolytes that are naturally occurring. We want to hit the Rs 100 crore mark in the next four years. And 15 years down the line, we want to be in everybody’s home. Our water is packed at source. It is untouched by human hands.”

Speaking about her target audience, Bhumi told Business Today, “It is said that by 2030 the mineral water market will reach the 3 billion dollar market. My TG is people who want a clean product. And where do I see my products in future… I see them in school, corporate canteens, colleges, theatres, airport, hotels, and restaurants.”

She added, “Every time I see a child drink water from a plastic bottle, I just want to pull that bottle and tell him ‘don’t do that’. Of course, when it is an absolute necessity, it is a different conversation. But this comes from a place where you have a choice, and yet you choose something that is full of toxic chemicals.

Bhumi shared, “I had started investing money since the age of 17, from my very first salary, which was a cheque of Rs 7,000 from Yash Raj Films. The reason we could back Backbay is because of my investments. I splurge a lot of money on all the investments that I do.”

As soon as the news of Bhumi and Samiksha venturing into the sustainable water market broke, netizens trolled the Pednekar sisters, slamming them for launching packaged drinking water and calling it a “completely useless” move.

One user commented, “Khud plastic se banke sustainable water bechenge. The irony…”

Another wrote, “On which planet do people buy such water? And if they have to, there are far better alternatives.”