In 1999, Eureka Forbes Ltd. (Eureka Forbes), the leading vacuum cleaner and water/air purifier equipment company, announced a major policy change that came as a surprise to the Indian corporate world. The company, regarded as the pioneer of direct marketing in India, was planning to focus more on the retailing business in the future. Commenting on this decision, S Goklaney, Managing Director, Eureka Forbes, said, "Direct sales permits us to exploit only the top end of the market." This move was in accordance with the company's plans to increase the visibility of its products. The company planned to make its products available in retail outlets through its dealer network, spread across 2,600 dealers.

The same year, in another major departure from the business practices adopted since it began business in India, Eureka Forbes announced its decision to enter the bottled water market. The company wanted to position itself as a one-stop shop for products related to providing pure water.

Industry watchers questioned this decision, observing that most manufacturers of bottled water were regional players and very few brands had an all-India presence.

Parle's Bisleri mineral water brand, the only national level player at that point of time, was expected to pose stiff competition to Eureka Forbes.