Heineken bets on India’s premium beer demand for future growth

New Delhi: India is positioned as a 'critical strategic pillar' in Danish brewing giant Heineken's global portfolio, its Chief Executive Officer Dolf van den Brink has said amid a decline in volumes in recent quarters.

"India, this is such a critical strategic pillar of the company now. It's probably the largest frontier market globally in terms of upside on per capita," said Brink in the latest earnings calls last week.

Heineken, which owns United Breweries Ltd (UBL), also acknowledged the decline in sales for the third and fourth quarters of 2025 due to seasonal disruptions, but said its market share was intact.


"The back end of the last year was really impacted by the weather. It was extraordinarily cold and wet in Q3, going into Q4. But from a market share performance, we are very happy with India..." he said.

The Danish brewer operates in India with its homegrown brand Kingfisher in the mass and mid-premium market, while it has Heineken and Amstel on the premium side.

UBL's overall beer sell-in volume declined 1.3 per cent in the December quarter.

Heineken, which owns 61.5 per cent in UBL, also noted that after integration and standardisation, it is "now really starting to see the fruits of the commercial strategies coming to life", he said.

In 2025, Kingfisher maintained its growth trajectory, supported by cricket sponsorships (IPL), while the premium portfolio grew strongly, led by Kingfisher Ultra, Ultra Max, Heineken Silver, and our latest innovation, Amstel Grande, Brink said in his opening remarks.

"In India, volume grew mid-single digits, ahead of the overall market. As the country's largest brewer, we continued shaping the category, expanding our reach, and transforming our sales model," he said.

Its local power brands delivered solid growth across several major markets, including Cruzcampo UK, Harar in Ethiopia, Tecate Original in Mexico, and Kingfisher in India.

Globally, its broader premium portfolio also performed well in 2025, supported by strong local brands such as Kingfisher Ultra in India, Bernini in South Africa, and Legend Extra Stout in Nigeria.

In the Asia Pacific division, growth was led by markets such as Vietnam and India, with the region delivering organic volume growth alongside margin expansion.