Anheuser-Busch InBev Chief Executive Carlos Brito was recently in India to review Indian operations. This is the first India visit for Brito after the world’s largest brewer acquired rival SABMiller Plc six months ago.
The India headquarter has been recently shifted from Gurgaon to Bengaluru, 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. It acquired SabMiller which sells 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 Indian operations now have a team of over 325 people with flagship brand Budweiser brewed locally out of two manufacturing locations in Telangana and Maharashtra. 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.