India: AB InBev appoints new head of its India operations

World's largest brewing company Anheuser-Busch InBev has appointed Ben Verhaert as the new head of its India operations, replacing Pedro Aidar, who became the business unit president for India and South Asia seven months ago, the Economic Times reported on May 12.

Verhaert has been with maker of Budweiser and Corona beer for over 15 years and held key positions within the sales and distribution team in Europe.

“While the industry faced some challenges, we focused on innovation, quality and talent to ensure that we are bringing the best products to our consumers and customers. Our commitment to India will only grow stronger from here," said Aidar in a statement. Aidar, who will move in a new role within AB Inbev, shifted to India nearly two years ago and led the company's integration of SabMiller that it acquired last year.

The management change comes at a time when the second larger brewer in India is consistently losing share to rivals including Carlsberg. The headquarter has been recently shifted from Gurgaon to Bangalore, reporting into the Zone President for Asia Pacific South, based out of Melbourne, Australia.

AB InBev — which produces one in four beers around the world - was a fringe player until last year in the market where leader United Breweries controls about half the beer market with 51% share. Its acquired company SabMiller sell brands such as Haywards and Knockout and is the second largest firm followed by Carlsberg that controls nearly 17% of the market. More than a year ago, the company parted ways with its New Delhi-based joint venture partner RJ Corp to operate a wholly owned subsidiary - Crown Beers India.

The portfolio in India also includes imported international brands such as Stella Artois, Leffe and Corona, which are mainly restricted in the premium end beer in a country where mass and strong beer segment dominate nearly 80% of the overall segment.

12 May, 2017