Celebrity Breweries will invest over Rs. 100cr in West Bengal
(Sourced from PTI)
City-based Celebrity Breweries Private Limited plans to invest more than Rs. 100 crore in the West Bengal beer market, a top company official said. The company has its own brands and is also a major contract manufacturer of beer for leading brands like the World's largest brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev and United Breweries. Notably, the company, incorporated in 2006, is mainly into manufacturing food items.
"The company has plans of investing more than 100 crore in the West Bengal beer market. Investment in up-gradation of the equipment is related to improving quality checks and automation to match global brewery standards," Celebrity Breweries Chief Operating Officer, Vishal Kumar said.
The West Bengal government, in order to provide an impetus to breweries in the state, has reduced duty slabs and permitted the production of non-alcoholic malt beverages. The West Bengal government also introduced a non-alcoholic beer policy last week. According to APN News, the new beer policy introduced by the state excise department is believed to earn more revenue for the government.
"Introduction of NAB policy being a first-of-its-kind in India will help global companies to come with more investment toward Bengal. Currently, the demand for NAB is being met completely through imports and not being manufactured within India," Kumar said. "We welcome the move by the state government, as we can now invest in the capacity installation at our Hooghly brewery," he told APN News.
Notably, the new beer policy is said to be introduced to boost the Central government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative and Local for Vocal initiative. "We are going to set up the first de-alcoholizer module in India. This model is being imported from Sweden and Rs. 50 crore is being invested in this module along with peripherals," Kumar said.
"We're confident of the state earning an extra revenue of above Rs. 300 crore from setting up of the de-alcoholizer unit, increased purchase of Agri inputs, packaging materials, logistics and employment generation other than clocking an increased SGST," Kumar said. "The company is also coming up with a foreign liquor manufacturing facility," he added.
"The company is in talks with other major players to manufacture premium and super-premium foreign liquor brands in the state. Also, investment in the Hooghly brewery will ensure the same manufacturing process as followed in countries like South Korea, Belgium, and China," Kumar said.
