Case study of Coca Cola's ekocool solar Cooler; A frugal innovation serving as a source of sustainable competitive advantage in Rural markets of Northern India

Business sustainability has now become a Buzz word in the corporate. This is so because Sustainability not only means sustainable market place but also means sustainable development both for business and the environment. The following case tries to evaluate how the introduction of a frugal, reverse innovation concept of solar based, cooler, eKOCool,by Coca Cola India,in rural markets of Northern India and its exclusive distribution to the women retailers in these areas, under its 5by 20 women empowerment program, turned out to be a sustainable business opportunity not only for the global giant but also the members of its value chain, especially the retailers in rural India. This not only helped the MNC to increase their presence in the vast rural markets of India but also gave them a five times increase in sales in first year of its launch just because it was an innovation based on local insights and ground realities. To add to the icing on the cake, the product has opened door to coca cola's entry into some of those markets both national and international, where it was not present earlier.