Honestly guys, I saw this Virat Kohli branded water bottle sitting in a fancy store window last Tuesday. Just regular bottled water, right? But the name made me curious. How much does it actually cost? Why does a cricket player’s name make water special? Had to dig in. Started simple.
Step 1: Hitting the Shops
Grabbed my phone and wallet, headed out. My local supermarket first. Water aisle. Easy. Scanned shelves – tons of brands. Found regular local mineral water – dirt cheap, maybe 20 rupees. Imported stuff like Evian? Way pricier, like a couple hundred rupees for a litre. But no Kohli water.
Moved to this big fancy mall nearby. High-end gourmet store. Cold drinks section, top shelf. Boom. There it was. “One8” something something, Virat Kohli all over it. Nice bottle, sleek design. Looked premium. Grabbed a 1-litre bottle.
Flipped it to see the price tag stuck on the shelf. Nearly choked. Rs. 175. For one litre of water? I kid you not. Put it back. Took a picture instead. Had to confirm this wasn’t a joke.
Step 2: Checking Online
Got home, fired up the laptop. Searched “Virat Kohli One8 Water price”. Clicked shopping links. Here’s what popped up:
- Official Brand Site: Listed at Rs. 170. Confirmed the mall wasn’t overcharging.
- Big Online Retailers: Prices danced between Rs. 160 and Rs. 180 per litre. Sometimes packs were cheaper per bottle, but still high.
- Local Grocery Delivery Apps: Actually found it! Usually around Rs. 170–180.
No escaping it. Rs. 170–175 is the standard price tag. Just sat there staring at the screen for a minute.
Breaking Down the Cost
Okay, so Rs. 175 for a litre bottle. What the hell makes it cost that much? Let’s think basic:
- The Water Itself: Municipal supply? Purified? Doesn’t cost more than a few paise to treat a litre. Pennies.
- The Plastic Bottle: Better quality plastic maybe? Still, material cost? Maybe Rs. 10–15 max, tops.
- The Fancy Branding: Sleek bottle design, printing, logo – adds some cost. Marketing budget? Huge. Big factor.
- The Virat Kohli Factor: THIS is the kicker. You’re paying big money for his name. Licensing fees? Brand value? Huge slice of that Rs. 175.
- Distribution & Retail Markup: Getting it to fancy stores, shelf space – all adds hefty chunks.
Here’s the ugly truth: You’re paying about Rs. 160–165 extra, purely for the brand hype and Kohli’s face. Water? Packaged. Marked up. Insanely marked up.
So Why Do They Charge This?
Simple. Status symbol. Drinking this water screams “I can afford it” or “I admire Virat that much.” Like buying designer clothes or luxury cars. It’s purely psychological, targeting fans and folks wanting that exclusive feel. The cost isn’t about the water. It’s about being seen with it. Like paying crazy money for a t-shirt because it has a swoosh.
Personally? I bought one bottle once. Just for this experiment. Felt ridiculous holding it at the counter. Tasted… like water. Cold. Wet. Nothing special. Not Rs. 175 special, that’s for damn sure. My regular filtered water at home? Costs fractions of a paisa per litre. Works perfectly.
Random Thought
Funny thing – this whole water price mess reminded me of my first job years ago. Working for this startup bottling local fruit juices. Boss kept pushing us to “premiumize”, slap on fancy labels, jack up prices 300%. Said people would pay more if it looked exclusive. We argued it was just regular juice, same stuff. Got told to “build the brand story”. Quit after six months. Watching regular juice sell for insane prices felt like cheating folks. Standing there holding that Rs. 175 water bottle? Exact same sick feeling.
