Sharp rise in alcohol sales observed in Delhi during Diwali festivals

Residents of Uzbekistan handed over over 16 thousand units of various types of packaging through special reverse vending machines during the reporting month, including plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and glass containers.

According to data provided by the Waste Management Agency and Circular Economy Development, the total number of collected packaging units exceeded 16.5 thousand. Plastic bottles made up the bulk of this volume, with 14.9 thousand pieces being handed in.

Additionally, nearly 1.3 thousand aluminum cans and 393 glass containers were submitted through the waste sorting machines.

For all the packaging handed over for recycling, users received a total amount of 2.41 million soms. It is worth noting that for every bottle or can handed in, a payment of 150 soms is provided, or the option to redirect this amount to charitable purposes.

Shruti Jinzuwadia decided to start her own business by leaving her job. Her husband Darshan, who is a software engineer working in the IT sector, supported her decision. Together, they started selling cold cocoa and coffee from their car in the city of Ahmadabad.

The venture, 'The Cocoa Station,' began in July 2025 with minimal investment—only 2000–3000 rupees. This business selling cold cocoa and coffee now generates a monthly income of about 600 thousand rupees. Initially, they had neither luxurious cafes, nor expensive goods, nor a complex business plan—just a car, a few bottles, and a desire to try something new.

Darshan joins Shruti after finishing his workday, and the couple starts selling drinks from 9 PM to midnight. Currently, the couple sells about 150 bottles daily.

In the beginning, the business brought in only 14 bottles per day. However, the couple's sales gradually started to grow. According to the Startup India report, they have already sold about 30 thousand bottles, and total revenue has exceeded 3.6 million rupees. The highest demand was observed during the Navratri festival, when they sold about 7500 bottles in 9 days. Currently, daily sales amount to approximately 20 thousand rupees, which yields an income of about 600 thousand rupees per month. Meanwhile, monthly expenses for raw materials, bottles, and other needs amount to about 1.5–2 million rupees.

Despite the growth, the couple continues to run their business from the car. Darshan continues to work as a software engineer. They prepare the drinks in the morning and store them in thermal containers. After finishing work, Darshan comes out with Shruti to sell drinks from 9 PM to 12 AM.

When the business started developing, Shruti decided to leave her main job to focus entirely on her venture. In a post on LinkedIn, she shared that thanks to starting this business, she learned how to manage finances, communicate with customers, and handle difficult situations.

The couple also listed their drinks on the Zomato platform. Classic cold cocoa is sold for 120 rupees, and cold cocoa 2-in-1 for 169 rupees. Classic cold coffee costs 119 rupees. This business, which started with an investment of 2000–3000 rupees, has already generated over 3.6 million rupees in revenue, and the couple currently delivers drinks to customers directly from their vehicle.

Varun Beverages Ltd, the largest franchise supplier of PepsiCo beverages, announced on Friday a 13.54 percent increase in consolidated net profit for the September quarter of 2026, reaching ₹830.6 crore. This growth is attributed to a double-digit increase in sales volumes in both Indian and international markets.

According to regulatory filings by Varun Beverages Ltd (VBL), the company recorded a net profit of ₹731.51 crore in July-September of last year. In the September quarter of 2026, operating revenue increased by 33.3 percent, amounting to ₹6,815.58 crore, compared to ₹5,112.43 crore in the same quarter of the previous year.

VBL's total expenses in the September quarter increased by 35.77 percent, reaching ₹5,880.55 crore. Meanwhile, VBL's total consolidated revenue, including other income, amounted to ₹6,935.44 crore, demonstrating a growth of 31.85 percent.

Looking at the figures separately, VBL's operating revenue, which mainly includes sales in India, increased by 24.75 percent, reaching ₹3,822.44 crore. On Friday, Varun Beverages shares traded on BSE at ₹398 in the afternoon session, declining by 3.83 percent compared to the previous close.