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.