Now Reading: Indian beer makers toast premium brands as sales surge
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Indian beer makers toast premium brands as sales surge
United Breweries Ltd (UBL), India's largest beer maker, recorded a 17% rise in premium volume across its high-end brands. This includes Heineken, Amstel Grande, Kingfisher Ultra, and Ultra Max. The jump reflects…
The Story in Brief
United Breweries Ltd (UBL), India's largest beer maker, recorded a 17% rise in premium volume across its high-end brands. This includes Heineken, Amstel Grande, Kingfisher Ultra, and Ultra Max. The jump reflects a broader industry shift toward premiumisation, as consumers trade up to costlier drinks.
NDTV Profit reports that the alcohol sector is increasingly relying on premium brands to boost margins. UBL's performance aligns with this trend, though the overall beer market remains price-sensitive. Premium brands now account for a larger share of UBL's portfolio, helping offset flat volumes in the mass segment.
The Indian Opinion
The premiumisation narrative flatters companies but ignores the squeeze on middle India. A 17% jump in premium beer sales sounds impressive until you ask how many customers simply downgraded to cheaper brands elsewhere. This is a tale of two markets: the affluent drinking more expensive beer, and the rest drinking less or nothing. The real test will come when input costs rise again, will premium volumes hold, or was this just a post-pandemic splurge? Watch for UBL's quarterly volume split between premium and economy.
Sources (2): ndtvprofit.com, ndtvprofit.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
