Cheers! Heineken is here

BEER drinkers in India can say cheers! Heineken, the cult beer brand, is now available in the country’s markets with United Breweries (UB) Ltd announcing the launch of the locally brewed and bottled Heineken beer from its brewery in Tajola near Mumbai.

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The super-premium lager beer is currently available in the markets of the national capital Delhi, the financial capital Mumbai, IT hub Bangalore, Pune and Thane.

Over the next 18 months, Heineken beer will reach the top 20 markets in India, said Samar Singh Sheikhawat, senior vicepresident, marketing, UB Ltd.

The brand has been well received in Mumbai and Pune and UB Ltd is now expanding its market to other Tier- I cities, according to Sheikhawat.

“ We are not necessarily looking at volumes for Heineken beer in the Indian market. Nor are we in any kind of competition with the other brands available in India as it is priced 30 per cent higher than the others,” he said.

“ Instead, the purpose is to fulfil certain portfolios for UB Ltd and promote the brand,” said the UB Ltd official.

Heineken is believed to be the world’s best- selling international premium beer and is enjoyed in more than 170 countries in all parts of the world.

India is the 48th country to have Heineken locally brewed.

The beer was first brewed under the Heineken name in 1873 by Gerard Adrian Heineken. His grandson Alfred ‘ Freddie’ Heineken then led the growth of the brand to make it one of the five best- selling beers in the world.

UB Ltd claims that the ingredients in Heineken beer are of very high quality and include malted barley and hops from Europe, Heineken A- yeast and water that is treated to the company’s strict specifications.

Sheikhawat assured the people that though the beer will be brewed and bottled in India its taste and quality will stay true to the original.

Heineken beer is now available in India in variants of 650 ml and 330 ml and is priced at ` 150 and ` 80, respectively.

The brand connects with consumers through marketing activation campaigns that are based on its global sport, music and film platforms starting from the UEFA Champions League Football and the Rugby World Cup.

They also include festivals such as Coachella and Ultra in the USA, Rock in Rio in Brazil, Oxegen in Ireland and the Open’er Festival in Poland.

Heineken will appeal to the affluent, sophisticated and discerning consumers in India, said Kalyan Ganguly, president and MD, UB Ltd.

“We will leverage our deep understanding of the Indian beer market and complement that with robust marketing programmes and the strength of our nationwide distribution network,” Ganguly said.