Affordability Of Beer Driver For Category Growth, Says United Breweries CEO Vivek Gupta

Affordability of beer is the number one driver for category growth, shared Vivek Gupta, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of United Breweries Ltd. "United Breweries wants to focus on consumers and really work on driving category growth," Gupta told NDTV Profit.

United Breweries reported a 6% year-on-year rise in its standalone net profit for the first quarter of fiscal 2026, according to an exchange filing on Tuesday. The standalone net profit stood at Rs 183.7 crore, up from Rs 173.3 crore in the same period last year. The company’s revenue rose to Rs 2,862.4 crore compared to Rs 2,473 crore in the previous year.

"Our market share has gone up by more than 300 basis points. Overall, I feel proud of how this quarter went and how we planned for the summer season. It could have been better if we hadn't faced disruptions like rain," he said.

Gupta noted that the Q1 results were not impacted by the recently announced Maharashtra Excise Policy, which increased excise duty for all alcohol categories except beer. The policy was announced in late June and its implementation began in July.

"In other states like Karnataka, West Bengal, and Rajasthan, the category is really struggling, as excise duty on beer has significantly increased. However, in states like Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, and Madhya Pradesh, the category is performing well," he said.

"We have to work through the Brewers Association of India and represent our case to the government, showing how beer adds value to the economy," he added.

Speaking about Q1 growth, Gupta said, "It’s a combination of great products. The growth we are seeing in our brands like Ultra and Ultra Max, as well as our international brands like Heineken, is really encouraging."

"Last year, we grew our premium portfolio by 34%. This quarter, we expect to grow by 46%. Localisation of our production is another key driver of growth this quarter. The Kingfisher brand is back, supported by IPL promotions," he said.

"Cooler placements have also contributed. We've placed more coolers in stores this quarter than we did in the entire previous year. The number of stores equipped with beer coolers has tripled over the last two years due to our investments," he added.