Arian Breweries & Distilleries, a VI John Group company, has forayed into the liquor business by forging a joint venture (JV) with Europe’s leading brewery, Mahou San Miguel, to manufacture and market two new beer brands - Dare Devil 10000, Premium Strong Beer, and Mahou Cinco Estrallas - in India. While the former is an indigenous brand of Arian Breweries, the latter is a premium beer brand of Mahou San Miguel. These two beers will now be available in five North Indian states of Bihar, Rajasthan,
Uttarakhand, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Arian Breweries has set-up a brewing facility in Bhiwadi in Rajasthan with a production capacity of 250,000 HLA to manufacture beer for the India market.
Bhupinder Singh Kochar, Chairman, VI John Group, said that the JV will help Arian Breweries to carve out a sustainable market share and contribute to growing the beer segment in the country. Both companies have a 50-50 share in the JV.
Alberto Rodrigues Toquero, Managing Director, Mahou San Miguel, said that the company is the number one exporter of beer in Europe and is present in more than 40 countries in the world. “India is a large country with a very good economic growth. There is an increasing appetite for good beers among the young population of the country. We are happy that we found a good partner in India,” he said.
Arian Breweries will initially import Mahou beers from Spain and market it in India. The brewery will manufacture Mahou beers in India in the next six to eight months, said Francisco Ayuga, CEO, Arian Breweries & Distilleries. “It is a premium quality beer for special people. We have products both for masses (Dare Devil) and for classes (Mahou Cinco Estrallas).” The company would like to explore the potential of the market before adding more brands from Mahou San Miguel’s portfolio, he informed.
While Dare Devil will be available in 330 ml and 650 ml bottles at a price range of Rs 50 to Rs 100, Mahou will be priced between Rs 130 and Rs 150 for a 330 ml bottle. The Group will expand its market to other regions of India in a phased manner, said Harpreet Sachdeva, Director, Arian Breweries & Distilleries.