Beam Global to enter Indian liquor mart

Beam Global Spirits and Wine, the fourth largest spirits company worldwide, is planning to promote Jim Beam bourbon and Larios dry gin in India by the middle of 2007.

Although these products are already available in the country, the company is looking at establishing a stronger distribution channel to reach the products to the masses.

Beam Global is also looking at increasing the number of foreign liquors that the company bottles at its plant in India.

The capacity of the plant will also be increased next year.

Currently, Beam Global bottles Teacher's and Teacher's, its regular and premium brands of blended Scotch whisky in India. The newer products might include other types of liquor, indicated Arun Seth, senior vice-president, south Asia international trade.

The company offers close to 10 brands to the Indian market. However, Beam Global's highest selling product here is Teacher's, which sells around 1.25 lakh cases in India, capturing more than 50 per cent of the bottled in India Scotch market. Around 20,000 cases of Teacher's are imported, which brings the total imports of Beam Global brands into India to 37,000 cases a year.

Teacher's currently contributes to 85 per cent of the company's revenues in India. The company plans to leverage Teacher's distribution points to push Jim Beam and Larios in the Indian market. This means, positioning the products well at 22 duty-free outlets in the country and also at upmarket hotels, pubs and retail counters.

The company would also strategically place the products at international airports in markets that are frequented by Indians. Jim Beam is currently sold in India through duty free stores at airports at $15 for a 750 millilitre white label variety and for $22 for a black label variety.

While Jim Beam sells around 5.7 million cases worldwide, Larios sells close to two million cases a year. Although India does not contribute significantly to the company's global sales yet, Beam Global is looking at the Indian and Chinese markets as prospective emerging markets.

However, tastes in both countries different -- while cognac is a preferred drink in China, Scotch whiskey is the flavour Indians would much rather go for, said Seth. Teacher's as a brand has been growing at 25 per cent annually.