For very good reasons, the national cola of India — Thums Up — stars in a dozen case studies on the intersection of global and local forces. These studies are a fascinating combination of anthropology, sociology and marketing, where Thums Up usually symbolizes the triumph of indigenous values.

If mythical gods get thirsty, their beverage of choice is probably Thums Up.

A little history: The Indian government gave an edict to companies such as Coca-Cola and IBM in 1974: Hand over control to your Indian subsidiary, or leave. In 1977, rather than comply with the new ownership law, Coca-Cola left. In its absence, several Indian companies went after the national soft drink market. A government-run company named one cola “Double Seven” after the year of the departure. Double Seven apparently captured the essential flavor of government, and didn’t do well. Coke’s former local bottler, Pure Drinks, created “Campa Cola.” Parle, a food and beverage company in Mumbai, created “Thums Up,” with a distinctive, spicy flavor something like a betel nut. At least that’s what they said. It tastes like a cola to me, but I digress.

Thums Up dominated, growing to 35 percent market share.

Then, in 1993, looser government controls enabled Coca-Cola and Pepsi to re-enter India. Coca-Cola bought Thums Up from Parle. After a couple of years, deciding it was easier to beat Pepsi with two brands than one, Coca-Cola invested heavily in Thums Up. New brand messages celebrated local culture and values, including the way its spicy finish complements Indian dishes. The logo’s simple thumbs-up gesture capitalizes on resemblance to Manmad Hill in the Maharashtra region of western India.

Just a few weeks ago, in The Economic Times of India, two creative directors who managed Thums Up advertising — Ashok Kurien and Elsie Nanji — wrote about how they turned Pepsi’s playbook against them in the 1980s and 1990s. They scripted actress Pooja Bhatt to pick Thums Up over Pepsi in a blind taste-test, taking claim to Pepsi’s usual tactic. They signed actor Salman Khan to portray an Indian Air Force fighter pilot winning in the skies, pre-empting a Pepsi promotion with Tom Cruise’s pilot from “Top Gun.”

Today, estimates give Thums Up 16 percent market share, with soft drinks Sprite at 15 and Pepsi at 13. Coca-Cola just re-invested in Thums Up’s 20-year-old “Taste the Thunder” campaign, naming actor Akshay Kumar as new brand ambassador.

The local guy, Thums Up, ultimately won the mythical fight for Indian cola supremacy against Pepsi and Coca-Cola. It’s an unusual case of David and Goliath having a pre-fight meeting, deciding everybody would be better off with David as the local hero, calling off the battle, and then teaming up to beat the other guys.