New Delhi, December 6, 2004
PTI
Aimed at making India its biggest market in 10 years,
the UK-based Cobra Beer Ltd will start commercial
production of its Cobra brand of beer this week in
Rajasthan.
With this, the company's chief executive officer Karan
F Bilimoria will again brew beer in India after a
gap of over seven years.
"If all goes well and the quality of beer conforms
to our standards, we will make it available in the
market on the new year," Bilimoria, who recently
got 'Businessman of the Year Award' in London, told
PTI.
Cobra will brew beer in a unit at Behror town of
Rajasthan in a licensing agreement with Mt Shivalik
Breweries.
The company plans to sell one million cases of beer
per annum within three years, he said.
Bilimoria started brewing Cobra beer in Bangalore
in a licensing agreement with Mysore Breweries Ltd
of South African Breweries in 1990 before moving out
the operations to the United Kingdom in 1997 because
of logistics.
Currently, Cobra beer is sold in India by importing
it from the United Kingdom and Poland.
Bilimoria said he wants to create a super premium
category in the beer market. Cobra beer is priced
at around Rs 100 per bottle of 650 ml, but with the
commercial production in India the price will come
down to around Rs 60-70. Prices vary from state to
state as per local taxes.
"If the Government further liberalises the sector
by allowing more retailing units to sell beer and
reducing duties, I am sure we will make India our
biggest market in 10 years," he said.
