The Hindu Business Line : Cobra targets 20 million beer cases in India by 2012

NEW DELHI: Targeting to sell 20 million cases by 2012, the UK-based Cobra Beer would be infusing a total investment of $80 million in setting up and acquiring new breweries in India. In order to achieve its targets, the company would be adding five more new breweries besides widening the 'Cobra' range of beer portfolio.

"The growth we have witnessed in the Indian beer market in the last three years has been phenomenal. Our target for 2012 is to cross a total of 20 million cases a year," said Chairman of the Cobra Beer Mr Karan Bilimoria. He said by May-June this year, t he company expects to cross the 400,000-cases mark in India.

"In November 2006, we sold only 20,000 cases, which jumped to 250,000 cases in May last year," he said. Mr Bilimoria said the company would be adding two more breweries by May this year taking the total to nine from the current seven.

"By 2012, we think we will have a total of 12 breweries, of which one of the new ones could be an acquisition," he said. Currently talks are on with a brewer for acquiring a majority stake, similar to the one it has acquired in Bihar. "We expect the anno uncement on that front in a few months time," MrBilimoria said without divulging details. He said Cobra Beer would also add to its range from the current offerings of two products, King Cobra and normal Cobra.

"In the UK we have non-alcoholic beer, Diet Cobra, fruit flavoured beer and double fermented beer. We may bring those except the double fermented beer as it is manufactured in Poland and Belgium," he added. In the next five years, Mr Bilimoria said the I ndian beer market is slated to touch the 200 million cases mark and the company was targeting about 10 per cent of the market. He said the company has been successful in states like Rajasthan, Delhi, West Bengal and Punjab and with its new breweries, one of which could be either in West or South India. It was aiming to tap the South markets, including Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. - PTI

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