It was announced during the Jallikattu protests which brought thousands of Tamil youths to the Marina beach, and now it has been put into practice.
Starting on Wednesday soft drink brands owned by Coca Cola and Pepsi has gone off the shelves in shops across Tamil Nadu.
According to reports some twenty lakhs small and large traders across the state have said no to the multinational companies, while they will continue to be available in some supermarkets.
In January, the traders body had taken the decision to boycott the soft drinks and instead support local products.
The move was in protest to what they alleged as the undue exploitation of the groundwater by companies even while local farmers struggle to find water to irrigate their crops.
According to industry data PepsiCo and Coca-Cola control up to 80 per cent soft drinks business in Tamil Nadu which sees an annual business of around Rs 1,400-crore.
