The guiding principle of luxury is to put a price on the attainable so staggering that it becomes unattainable. The first watch was created in 1505 by German locksmith Peter Henlein called the Nuremberg Egg. Among Anant Ambani’s bespoke multimillion dollar watch collection is a Jacob & Co. Opera Vantara that costs around Rs 13.7 crore that celebrates his passion for wildlife. Both tell time. Now, take water. Freely poured and taken for granted, it is now a luxury drink for the rich, signalling aspiration, ostentation and wealth. A litre of ordinary packaged water costs about Rs 10, but luxury water brands have appeared sporting price tags of Rs 33,000 for a 750 ml water bottle or more, while cheaper ones cost Rs 700 or more for a 355 ml glass bottle. Brands from France, Italy, and the US are thirsty for more. In gourmet food stores across Indian cities, water-tasting sessions are conducted with imported labels such as Kona Nigari, Saratoga Spring Water, Voss Artesian, Perrier and San Pellegrino along with the Indian premier aqua brand Aava. Glasses are swirled, sips lingered over, textures compared. Minerality and mouth feel have entered the vocabulary of drinking water.
“There is no discernment when it comes to the quality of water in India. That’s precisely why we host blind water-tasting sessions across the country so people can learn about water, its taste, texture, and mineral content,” says Avanti Mehta, who describes herself as a water sommelier. Her family-owned brand, Aava, caters to corporate offices, upscale retail, and hospitality institutions, with natural mineral water priced at Rs 999 per package of four glass bottles—strictly for the chairman or CEO one presumes. “Water, like wine, tastes different when sourced from different regions,” she adds.
Premium water is fast becoming a wannabe richie rich trend in India, too. Sustainability and health anxieties fuel the fashion and nearly all premium water producers claim their product is sourced from remote mountain ranges and deep oceans, have eco-friendly packaging and balanced alkalinity with mineral richness. The purveyors promise not just purity, but reassurance, turning water into a lifestyle choice.
Some brands like Estuary are leaning into experience, positioning themselves as an accompaniment to spirits, offering blending waters designed specifically for whiskies. In crystal glasses, water has now acquired new currency. What remains unchanged is its power to signify far more than what the bottle holds.