Beam to retail renowned brands in India

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Mumbai: Beam Global Spirits & Wine Inc, the fourth-largest premium spirits company in the world, is bringing its renowned brands, such as Laphroaig, Jim Beam, Ardmore and Sauza, to retail outlets in India. The company’s Indian arm, which has gained a lion’s share of its revenues from Teacher’s whisky, is extending focus to the newly launched brands in India. Beam Global is part of Fortune Brands Inc, the US-based $8-billion consumer brands company.

Beam Global has set up its own warehouses in Mumbai and Delhi, and has is ramping up marketing and distribution strategies in order to establish the global brands in India. Among its brands, Laphroaig is the world’s leading Islay malt whisky; Jim Beam is a popular bourbon whisky, while Sauza is one of the fastest growing tequila brands in the world.

Teacher’s, the $2.5-billion Beam Global’s flagship brand, holds about 45% of the bottled-in-India (BII) Scotch whisky market. Its main competitors are Black Dog (UB) and VAT 69 (Diageo). The company expects to sell 3 lakh cases of the Teacher’s brand in 2009, up from around 2 lakh cases last year.

In 2007, out of 77.8 million cases of scotch sold in India, 76.8 million cases were of the locally made variety.

Harish Moolchandani, CEO and managing director, India and Indian sub continent, Beam Global Spirits and Wine, told FE, “The mounting number of consumers with high disposable income as well as the short supply of good single malt whiskies in the country compels us to focus on premium brands such as Laphroaig in India.”

Laphroaig, the best single malt from Islay region of Scotland, has won a number of global accolades. It will be priced at Rs 2800-3500 per 750 ml bottle, while gold and silver brands of Sauza will be priced at Rs 1200-1500. The prices of Jim Beam White and Jim Beam Black will range Rs 1,200-2,500. All these brands will be imported, while Teacher’s, Teacher’s 50 and DYC are bottled in the company’s plant in Rajasthan. “Setting up own warehouses will help enhance the efficiency of our marketing and distribution,” Moolchandani noted. The company expects a growth of 25% in 2009.

Apart from the major four brands, Beam Global is in the process of making other leading brands such as Basil Hayden (bourbon whisky), Courvoisier Cognac, Canadian Club Whisky and Maker’s Mark Bourbon, available in retail outlets across India.