Bhumi Pednekkar launched her packaged water brand Backbay in 2025 and while she clarified that this was ‘premium water’ brand, she received a lot of criticism for its steep prices as a 500ml packet was being sold at Rs 150, and a 750 ml packet was being sold at Rs 200. Now, in a new interview, Bhumi said that while they started as a water brand, they have now expanded into a beverage brand as she will soon be launching her sparkling water. She admitted that while her brand was expensive but added that the other brands in the same category cost even more.Talking to Jai Madaan on her YouTube channel, Bhumi said that when she started her company, she was told that she was “going up against giants” but she held on as she believed that she was selling a ‘good product’. “We are running this company ethically. We are trying to deliver the cleanest version of everything that we are promising and it’s fun,” she said.ALSO READ | Dhurandhar 2 Worldwide Box Office Collection Day 7 LIVE UpdatesBhumi Pednekkar says ‘my water is expensive’Bhumi said that while her brand was previously a water brand, now “we are not a water brand, now we are a beverage brand. Now we will launch our sparkling water. We are entering the space of holistic living through beverages and we are doing a lot of R&D. Our vision is to build a clean brand.”Admitting that her brand is selling “expensive” products, she said, “Yes, my water is expensive. There’s no doubt about it. But the category that I am in, which is the premium water category… The legacy brands in the same category, the giants that I was told I can’t go up against, their water is much more expensive than mine.” She added, “In India, there are so many international brands that we drink. And you are paying Rs 400-500 for them.”Bhumi said that from the beginning, she was certain that this was a premium product and not meant as a mass product category, and said that she will launch a sister brand when she enters the mass market. “As an entrepreneur, you need to have the clarity which category you are in. I have clarity that I am in the premium category. When I want to enter the mass market, I will come with a sister brand for Backbay, not with Backbay. This is what I am catering to,” she said. Presently, Backbay’s website is selling 500 ml (pack of 12) for Rs 1,556, which makes it Rs 129.6 per unit. And the 750 ml variant (pack of 12) is being sold for Rs 2,111, which is around Rs 176 per unit.ALSO READ | Mira Kapoor’s business empire: Backing Rs 960 cr brand, fellow investor with Jennifer Lopez and building an ‘ecosystem of wellness’Story continues below this adBhumi Pednekkar’s company is self-fundedAt the time of the launch, Bhumi and her sister Samiksha shared that they had put up a manufacturing unit in Himachal where they were packaging “natural mineral water.”She told Business Today at the time, “We have 2 SKUs which are 500 ml and 750 ml and as far as pricing is concerned, we have priced it right in the middle of the very expensive plastic variant and the least expensive glass variant. The plastic is up to Rs 90 and glass goes up to Rs 600. My 500 ml is at Rs 150 and my 750ml is at Rs 200. It is premium water, but we wanted to keep the pricing as such that we wanted it to be accessible to people.”She had also declared that Backbay was a self-funded company, without any extrenal funding. “I had started investing money since the age of 17 from my very first salary which was a cheque of Rs 7,000 from Yash Raj Films. The reason we could back Backbay is because of my investments. I splurge a lot of money in all the investments that I do,” she said.About Bhumi PednekkarBhumi Pednekkar is primarily an actor in Hindi films. She was last seen in Amazon Prime Video’s web series Daldal. She is known for her work in films like Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Sonchiriya, Thank You for Coming, among others.Story continues below this adDISCLAIMER: This article provides entertainment and business news regarding a celebrity-led beverage brand. The information is for informational purposes and does not constitute financial advice or professional lifestyle recommendations.