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Budweiser comes to India
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Saturday, 14 July, 2007, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Bosky Christopher, Mumbai
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lf the King of Beers is in India and will be available in the premium category.
Crown Beers India Ltd, the joint venture between American brewer Anheuser-Busch and Crown International, has announced the launch of the first locally brewed beer - Budweiser, and Armstrong. "Specially created for the Indian market, both the varieties will be brewed at our newly set up brewery at Hyderabad," said Rob Newman, director of sales and marketing, Crown Beers India.
Budweiser, the American pure lager, will be available in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa. Crown Beers has plans of going pan-India but will first get a foothold in the southern and western regions. "As of now, we want to concentrate on these two states and then depending on the response we will look at other states," said Newman.
While a 330 ml bottle will cost Rs 38, a 650 ml bottle will come at Rs 68 in Mumbai, the company said. Apart from rice, which will be locally sourced, the company will import key ingredients such as row-malt from Canada, Beachwood chips from the US and hops from the US and Europe, explained Amruth Reddy, the Anheuser-Busch brew-master. Reddy will handle quality control and brewing processes in India.
"Strong beer accounts for nearly two-thirds of beer sales in India," said K V D Prasad Rao, chairman, Crown Beers. According to the company, the overall consumption of beer in India grew by 26% in 2006. Targeting the growing market of strong beer, Reddy said, "Budweiser has a 5% alcohol content and a smooth drinkable taste in contrast to Armstrong, which is strong with a 7% alcohol and is brewed according to time-honoured traditions."
In Asia, China is the only other country that Anheuser-Busch has a presence. "China is our biggest investment till date in Asia, and the only other country of interest to us in Asia, is India," said Stephen J Burrows, CEO (Asia Pacific), Anheuser-Busch. We target to capture at least 5% market share in the currently estimated 8 million hectolitre Indian beer market with a 25-30% annual growth in the next five years, added Burrows.
"Since Indian drinking culture is changing with the rise in income level of younger population, we hope there is scope for enough market expansion here too. As the Indian beer market continues to experience tremendous growth, our goal is to best position Budweiser as a leading brand in the premium category. Brewed locally, Budweiser will distinguish itself with Indian consumers as a great-tasting beer with unmatched quality and freshness," said Burrows.
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