United Breweries Ltd. managing director and chief executive officer Vivek Gupta called India "one of the most important markets" for their beer brand Heineken, according to his statement to NDTV Profit on Tuesday.
Gupta stated that the company has a market share of nearly 50%, with local procurement valued at Rs 6,900 crore for the financial year 2024-25.
The alcoholic beverage firm announced that it launched its socio-economic impact report, detailing the company's impact on the Indian economy.
"Beer is much more than a product, it's an important contributor at various levels," Gupta said.
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The company's CEO said that it paid Rs 1,800 crore in terms of earnings, salaries and taxes.
According to the report, United Breweries added a value of Rs 43,000 crore to the Indian economy in fiscal 2024-25. This is reportedly equivalent to 0.1% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). The company also said in the report that it has 2,95,000 employment opportunities equivalent to 0.05% of the economy's total employment.
Vinod Giri, head of the Brewers Association of India, stated that the beer industry contributed Rs 51,000 crore in taxes in fiscal 2025. He called beer a social drink and stated that its impact on the hospitality sector was deep. The Brewers Association head also noted that the beer market in India is growing rapidly.
Giri argued that the Indian government's policies should be centred around lower alcohol level beverages.
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He noted that nine states had created policies around beverages with low alcohol content in the last 18 months. He stated that ten states have rolled out tailored tax systems in favour of beer.
"This is how regulation in the country should be made," Giri said.
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