The Hindu Business Line : Teacher's to get more focus in sub-continent

Growth plans
Beam Global company plans to introduce Teacher's 50 through the duty-free chain by 2006-end.
The company has targeted sales of 140,000 cases of Teacher's range in calendar 2006.
It is weighing options on foraying into IMFL segment.

Hyderabad , July 7

Beam Global Spirits and Wine, the fourth largest spirits company in the world, wants to consolidate its position in the premium whisky market through its Teacher's brand in India. It plans to introduce Teacher's 50, bottled in Scotland through the duty-free chain by the end 2006.

With 45 per cent of the market in India with Teacher's, the company is expanding into the neighbouring countries in the sub-continent such as Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Maldives taking the duty-free route initially, according to Mr Harish Moolchandani, Managing Director of Beam Global Spirits and Wine (India).

The company has set a target of selling 140,000 cases of the Teacher's range during the 2006 calendar year. During the past three years, the brand sales have been growing at 22 per cent against the industry average of 15 per cent, he told Business Line here today.

Mr Moolchandani, who was here in connection with the Teacher's Highnights Awards event, said after the UK and Brazil, India was the third largest market for Teacher's. Now, the brand, which was acquired by Beam Global through the acquisition of Allied Domecq, would be given a global focus with aggressive marketing in various countries.

While stating that the manufacturing capacities at the Rajasthan plant would suffice to drive the growth plans of the company in the near future, Mr Moolchandani said it was contemplating plans to enter the Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) segment. "At present, it is more on a planning stage," he added.

Big potential

On the future plans, he said Beam Global has identified India as a potential big market and was in the process of ensuring placement of brands like Jim Beam (bourbon), Sauza (tequila) and Courvoisier (Cognac) etc. in the established sales chain. "These brands are at the seeding stage in their respective segments at present," he added.

In the domestic market, the company was doing well in the northern States and Karnataka, while its sales were comparatively low in a big market like Andhra Pradesh. He felt, a rationalisation of tariff was necessary in the interest of the State to earn higher revenues and for the companies to get a level playing fields and greater opportunities.