The Hindu Business Line : Triumph Distillers to enter premium rum market soon

Mr Deepak Roy, President & Managing Director, told Business Line that the company had lined up new brand introductions, which would be rolled out by early next financial year. "We will be entering the market with a premium rum, and this is likely to happen in the next three months," he said. Earlier, Mr Roy had indicated that TDV could be looking at the premium dark rum segment as an opportunity given the good growth in rum sales in the recent past. He also added that TDV was poised to begin marketing an imported energy drink, Cult, pitched against competing brands such as Red Bull.

Mr Roy said the company's flagship brand Gilbey's Green Label Whisky could end the year with 2.4 million cases. This includes export sales of roughly four lakh cases, which makes it the single largest export brand in the domestic spirits business.

"In the first nine months, Green Label posted 15 per cent growth to sell 17.54 lakh cases as against 15.20 lakh cases in the same period last year," Mr Roy added.

The company reported 10 per cent growth in sales during the first nine-month period of the current financial year 2003-04.

TDV also benefited from the robust performance of its two other brands, Gilbey's White Label Whisky and Alcazar Vodka, which are in the process of shedding the regional aura. White Label reported 195 per cent growth to touch 41,000 cases from 14,000 cases in the nine-month period last year. The brand, which retails at an average price of Rs 160 per quart, has extended its presence to the entire North India, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. The repackaged Alcazar Vodka, traditionally strong in Mumbai, entered Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to show up with 58 per cent rise in sales.

The company's foray into the alcoholic ready-to-drink (RTD) has met with good market response. "Our brand Tequila Slamma, which has been in Delhi market for three months, has mopped up sales equalling 33 per cent of Bacardi Breezer. This is despite the fact that they (Bacardi) outspend us almost 10:1," Mr Roy claimed.

The buoyancy in the company's frontline brands saw its overall volume (in April-December) climb up to 21 lakh cases (2.1 million) compared with 19 lakh cases in the previous year. Analysts tracking the sector expect TDV to end March 2004 with sales close to 2.8 million cases.