Cobra Beer’s 2 greenfield units to be operational by end-2008

New Delhi: The UK-based Cobra Beer is all set to make operational two of its greenfield units in India by the end of 2008.“While the first of our units will come up in Punjab, the other, either in Andhra Pradesh or Maharashtra, will also be operational by the end of 2008,” said Mr Karan Bilimoria, Founder and CEO, Cobra Beer.

The company has planned a total of three units in the country with an investment of nearly $50 million. All the three will have initial capacities of 5 million cases each with an investment of about $15 million for each manufacturing facility.

The company is also in the process of adding two new licensing agreements with breweries in Orissa and Madhya Pradesh.

The company already has four licensing agreements with Mount Shivalik Group of Rajasthan, Impala Breweries in Goa, Manav Breweries in Uttar Pradesh and Iceberg in Bihar.

“We have just signed two new licensing agreements with breweries in Orissa and Madhya Pradesh. This will put our overall production capacity at present at 5 million cases,” said Mr Bilimoria.

Wine market


On its plans to foray into the relatively nascent wine market in India with its brand General Bilimoria, he said that the company was still studying its options in the country, while a pilot had already been done.

Mr Bilimoria said, “Though we intend to launch our wines in India within the next three years for sure, we do not want to move away from the rapid developments in the beer market. The beer market in India is growing at 27 per cent and we do not want to divert our attention from there.”

Tie up with wineries


He, however, said that when the company finally enters the wine market, it will be manufacturing the wine in India through licensing arrangements with wineries in the country.