Indian beer market to see more new brands

In a move to target Indian consumers, CMJ Breweries have collaborated with Konig Ludwg International to introduce German beer Kaltenberg in the Indian market.

According to licensing agreement between CMJ Breweries and Koning Ludiwg, CMJ breweries will make and distribute the German brand across India. Kaltenberg Royal Lager will be the first beer to be introduced through this joint collaboration and will be followed by Kaltenberg Royal Strong in next coming months.

Interestingly, the German brand, which has been tagged at Rs 125-a-pint, will be positioned higher than other premium beer brands and lower than imported beer brands like Hoegaarden and Corona, which costs around Rs 250. CMJ group will brew Kaltenberg at its brewery branch in Meghalaya.

“Pricing was done keeping in mind the huge gap between the two segments. As we have to import all raw materials to maintain the quality, we will have to sell it at a low profitability. It is not a volume game and we are not looking at profits at the moment. For us, to have Kaltenberg here in India is the most important thing,” CMJ Group chairman Rohit Jain was quoted by media as saying.

The group is set to market the German beer in India and plans to sell it across the nation in next five months. Initially, it is set to launch 200 outlets in Mumbai alone, but later it is planning to sell it at 80-90 retail centers in every city. Moreover, the German brand will be available in 1,000 outlets in few months in Maharashtra, Goa, Daman, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Delhi, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.