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After making a killing from selling its 30 per cent stake in US energy drinks maker Glaceau, Tata Tea is reportedly making its next big move. If the reports are to be believed, the Mumbai-based company is interested in the US beverages business of the UK-based Cadbury Schweppes. Tata Tea is eyeing the highly successful Snapple range of fruit, diet drinks and iced teas of Cadbury Schweppes.

Tata Tea may join as a minor partner in a private equity fund-led consortium led by Blackstone and Lion Capital in mounting the bid, reports The Economic Times. Cadbury Schweppes is apparently looking to sell the US beverage business as part of a global restructuring which seeks to separate confectionery and beverage businesses.

Besides Blackstone, other buyout funds like KKR, Thomas Lee Partners, and Bain Capital, and even strategic buyers like Coca-Cola have also shown interest in the deal, which could be as big as $16 billion, says the report.

Tata Tea has been aggressive on the M&A front for the last few years. Its first big acquisition was in 1999 of the UK's Tetley Group for £270 million. It subsequently bought specialist tea maker Good Earth and coffee firm Eight O’ Clock Coffee in the US, and a 30 per cent in Glaceau (for $677 million). Tata Tea sold the Glaceau stake last month to Coca-Cola, and made a profit of almost 80 per cent in less than a year. The company also bought a 26 per cent stake in Delhi-based Mount Everest Mineral Water for $28.3 million early this month.