New York - Soft drink giant Coca-Cola Co. reported Tuesday nearly-flat earnings in the third quarter of 2009, amid uneven performance in key markets.

The worlds largest soft drink concern said net income reached 1.9 billion dollars, up a slight 1 per cent from 1.89 billion dollars in the same quarter of 2008. It said there were volume gains in India and China, helping to offset lower sales in North America.

Total revenues, at 8.04 billion dollars, were down 4.2 per cent from the same quarter last year, the Atlanta, Georgia-based company said.

Sales in North America fell 4 per cent by volume, while surging 37 per cent in India and 15 per cent in China. (dpa)