E-Malt.com News article: India: Asia Pacific set to launch Baron's Beer in Maharashtra

The Singapore-based Asia Pacific Breweries (APB), which owns the Tiger beer brand, is all set to launch its international brand Baron’s Beer in Maharashtra within a fortnight, Economic Times reported October 2. The beer, brewed at its recently acquired brewery in Aurangabad, will be priced at Rs 70 a bottle.

Baron’s is the latest in a line of international beer brands being produced and distributed in India. Australian beer Foster’s, now acquired by South African Brewery (SABMiller), and SABMiller’s own brands are already being produced here. So is the case with Budweiser, a product of Anheuser-Busch.

Scottish & Newcastle, the second largest brewer in the world, has already struck a joint venture with India’s beer behemoth, the UB group, which owns the largest selling Indian beer, Kingfisher. Baron’s will be followed soon by APB’s flagship brands Tiger and Heineken. Since the basic requirement for a successful beer business in India is brewing facilities in strategic locations, APB is setting up another brewery in Hyderabad. The brewery will begin production by the end of the year.

APB made its Indian foray with the acquisition of Vijay Chougule’s Aurangabad brewery for $18 million. APB’s business development director Vivek Chhabra told ET that Baron’s is a strong beer “priced at Rs 70 for a 650 ml bottle”. Strong beer brands account for two-thirds of the Indian beer market. Mr Chhabra said Baron’s is not positioned against any particular brand.

With radical changes in lifestyle and consumption patterns in the country, global players have started viewing India as the market of the future and is rushing here to set up base as early as possible, according to industry observers.


03 October, 2007