Anheuser-Busch is reportedly planning to spend about a billion Rupees ($12.4 million) to buy a 50% ownership interest in Crown Breweries, centrally located near Hyderabad, India. By early 2007, Budweiser and perhaps another local high gravity beer should be flowing from the new venture, which has yet to be finalized. This will be A-B’s first foray directly into the Indian market, which is only beginning to see growth, at a rate of only 7-10% per annum.
United Breweries, which also owns Mendocino Brewing in Ukiah, California, owns about half of the Indian market with its Kingfisher beer. SABMiller controls another third of the market with several brands it controls.