E-Malt.com News article: India: United Breweries targets 10% share of premium mild beer segment in two-three years

Vijay Mallya-owned United Breweries, India’s largest brewer, is betting big on Heineken, the super-premium lager beer. Well on track to achieve its debut targets, Heineken aims to gain 10 per cent market share in the premium mild beer segment over the next two to three years, Financial Chronicle reported on December, 19.

The iconic global beer brand from the Dutch beer maker, which has so far been launched in seven Indian markets including Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Bangalore, Kolkata, will be made available across India in the next 18 months, Samar Singh Sheikhawat, senior vice-president (marketing), United Breweries, said.

The beer market in India is projected to be 240 million cases, of which 9-10 per cent is canned beer. According to a recent market research, beer sales in India are forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 17.2 per cent in 2011. Sheikhawat said the beer market has been growing at a CAGR of 15 per cent for the past five years.

With the Indian beer industry seeing steady growth over the past decade, due to strong economic growth resulting in high disposable incomes, an increase in beer sales is expected in the next two or three years. In addition to the increase in sales, the number of brands is also expected to increase, with existing players expanding their ranges, and new players setting up production facilities.

Globally Heineken connects with consumers through marketing activation campaigns on four platforms sports, music and film platforms including UEFA Champions League Football, Rugby World Cup and James Bond’s movies. “In India also, we are gearing up to get connected to our consumers through various brand building exercises. We are looking at various innovative events of Heineken Bar-B-Que Nites, Heineken Tonite at premium pubs, bars, lounges, restaurants and upmarket retail outlets to drive awareness and trial. We will leverage the brand’s global proposition, ‘Open Your World’ across all marketing executions,” said Sheikhawat.

It is also in the process of getting associated with the next James Bond movie as and when it is released in India. FM Radio is the other medium, UB is aggressively tapping through syndicated programmes to connect with Heineken consumers, he said.


21 December, 2011