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Boby Kurian

If the brand meets the projection of 10 million cases in the current year, it would be as big as Radico Khaitan Ltd.

Bangalore , June 13

THE UB Group expects its leading whisky brand, Bagpiper, to record volume sales of 10 million cases in the current financial year.

Bagpiper, which emerged as the largest Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) brand dislodging Old Monk Rum, closed the last financial year with depletions of 7.8 million cases.

UB sources said the optimistic forecast comes on the back of Bagpiper's performance in the first two months. The brand clocked two million cases in April and May, which is a growth of 54 per cent over the corresponding two months of last year, sources said.

UB's overall IMFL volume grew 14 per cent in the first two months, with May reporting 19 per cent jump, the company sources said without divulging figures.

UB, comprising McDowell & Co, Herbertsons and Triumph Distillers & Vintners, closed last financial year with a volume of 40 million cases.

If Bagpiper whisky meets the projection of 10 million cases in the current year, the brand would be as big as the second largest IMFL company in the country — Radico Khaitan Ltd.

Radico, a distant second in the pegging order of IMFL companies following UB's snapping up of Shaw Wallace & Co, said it closed 2004-05 with depletions of 10.02 million cases.

Meanwhile, UB is expected to announce the financial closure of its acquisition of archrival SWC on Tuesday. It signed an MoU for Rs 1,300-crore takeover on March 21, which will give it nearly 50 per cent share of the IMFL market pegged at 112 million cases annually. SWC closed 2004-05 with 15.8 million cases, taking UB's cumulative volume to almost 56 million cases.

It is learnt that UB has appointed Accenture to work on the operational management merger of all its spirits companies, including SWC, leading to significant cost savings. Mr Vijay Rekhi, President of UB Spirits Division, is likely to continue spearheading the merged jumbo-sized business even though there could be several other changes in the management structure, sources said.

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