India: United Breweries betting on its new Kingfisher Storm to wean away consumers from Carlsberg

India’s largest beermaker United Breweries (UB) is betting on its latest strong brew, Kingfisher Storm, to wean away customers from rival Carlsberg that has steadily gained 15% market share over the past five years, the Economic Times reported on April 27.

Storm will directly compete with Carlsberg Elephant, Tuborg Strong, and the recently introduced Tuborg Classic. The product will be rolled out across India in the next 18 months. This is the most aggressive launch by UB in over eight years, said acompany official, requesting anonymity.

“There is a movement toward a smoother drinking experience — typically falling between 5% and 7% alcohol content," he said.

To ride out a prolonged slump in the beer industry that fell 2% in FY17, UB is banking on youngsters to spend more on a strong beer with a smooth taste.

According to experts, India’s beer market has traditionally been driven by strong beer, which accounts for about 80% of the country’s overall sales volume of 300 million cases. This year, the beer industry is expected to expand 5-7%, paced by premium product launches and expansions, according to the country’s top breweries.

UB, which has a market share of about 52%, will introduce a portfolio of imported beers and another strong beer brand by the end of the year. AB InBev’s imported labels such as Corona, Hoegaarden and Stella, which are limited to Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore, will now be taken to more than a dozen markets across India.

27 April, 2017