Hindustan Lever (now Hindustan Unilever Limited) markets the beverage Lipton Ice Tea in the Indian market in association with which global beverages company?

Introduction / Context:
This question explores co branding and partnership strategies in the beverages industry. Lipton Ice Tea is a ready to drink tea based beverage that combines the strengths of a tea brand with the bottling and distribution power of a soft drink company. Hindustan Lever, now known as Hindustan Unilever Limited, entered into an alliance to market Lipton Ice Tea in India. Business awareness questions often ask which partners are involved in such joint ventures, because they illustrate how companies combine expertise in product development, branding and distribution.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The Indian company mentioned is Hindustan Lever (Hindustan Unilever Limited).
- The product is Lipton Ice Tea, a ready to drink beverage.
- The options for the associated company are McDonald's, PepsiCo, Coca Cola and Rasna.
- The question seeks the name of the beverages company that works with Hindustan Lever to sell Lipton Ice Tea in India.

Concept / Approach:
Lipton is a tea brand under the Unilever group. For ready to drink tea in bottles or cans, Unilever has entered into joint ventures with PepsiCo in many markets, combining Unilever's product and brand expertise with PepsiCo's bottling and distribution network. In India as well, Hindustan Lever partnered with PepsiCo to market Lipton Ice Tea as a packaged drink. McDonald's is a fast food chain and not the packaged beverage partner, Coca Cola has its own tea and juice brands, and Rasna focuses on powdered soft drink concentrates rather than this particular iced tea partnership.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise that Hindustan Lever owns the Lipton brand as part of the Unilever group. Step 2: Recall that ready to drink Lipton Ice Tea is produced and distributed in partnership with PepsiCo at an international level. Step 3: Consider that McDonald's is a restaurant chain, Coca Cola is a rival beverage giant with distinct brands, and Rasna is known for powdered drinks. Step 4: Based on this understanding, select PepsiCo as the correct partner in India.

Verification / Alternative check:
A verification method is to remember packaging and promotional materials for Lipton Ice Tea. In many markets, including India, references to PepsiCo bottling and distribution appear alongside the Lipton brand. Coca Cola typically promotes its own tea and juice brands, such as those under different names, and it competes with PepsiCo. McDonald's may serve beverages in its outlets but is not the brand partner for retail distribution of Lipton Ice Tea. Rasna is a local powdered drink brand and does not appear on Lipton Ice Tea labels. This cross check shows that PepsiCo is the only option that fits the described partnership.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
McDonald's: A global fast food chain that sells various beverages in its outlets, but it is not the co branding partner for Lipton Ice Tea packaging and distribution.
Coca Cola: A major competitor of PepsiCo and unlikely to partner with Unilever for a ready to drink tea brand that competes with its own products.
Rasna: Known primarily for powdered soft drink concentrates in India, not for ready to drink iced tea co branded with Hindustan Lever.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students may mix up PepsiCo and Coca Cola because both are global beverage giants often mentioned together. Others might guess based on which logo they remember more frequently, without considering competitive relationships. To avoid these pitfalls, candidates should note that Unilever and PepsiCo collaborate on Lipton Ice Tea, and that Coca Cola generally develops its own rival brands. Remembering such fixed partnerships is useful for handling similar co branding questions.

Final Answer:
Hindustan Lever sells Lipton Ice Tea in India in association with PepsiCo.