UBL’s Delhi beer business crosses Rs 250 crore run rate after distribution shift
United Breweries' beer business in Delhi has exceeded a revenue run rate of Rs 250 crore, helped by an operational shift to Adie Broswon Distribution. The popular Kingfisher Strong has sold over one million cases, contributing to the company's tot...
UBL’s portfolio volumes in Delhi exceeded 1.5 million cases in fiscal 2025-26, while its market share increased by about 1,500%, according to data provided by Adie Broswon Distribution. The sharp increase comes off a relatively low base and coincides with a broader expansion in the company’s distribution footprint in the market.
Kingfisher Strong volumes crossed 1 million cases during the year, taking the brand’s market share to about 10%. Kingfisher Ultra Max volumes increased more than 235%, while Kingfisher Ultra grew over 115%.
The performance comes as India’s beer market continues to expand. Beer volumes rose 7% in the first half of 2025, while premium-and-above beer volumes increased 8%, according to IWSR. The growth has also intensified competition among brewers for retail outlets and consumer spending.
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Adie Broswon Distribution assumed responsibility for UBL’s Delhi distribution in fiscal 2024-25. Since then, the focus has been on increasing outlet coverage, product availability and servicing across general trade and modern retail.
The Delhi figures point to the role of distribution in translating brand-level demand into sales in a highly fragmented retail market, it said. For brewers, access to outlets, inventory availability and execution at the point of sale remain important factors as the category expands.
The development also comes as beer companies increasingly look to premium segments for growth. Higher-priced brands can offer greater revenue per case, but require wider availability and consistent execution across retail channels to build scale.
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For the first quarter of fiscal 2027, UBL reported revenue of Rs 3,065 crore, up 7% from a year earlier. Net profit fell 9% to Rs 166 crore, weighed by West Asia-linked expenses.
UB, owned by Heineken, earlier warned that the conflict sharply raised costs of packaging materials, logistics, foreign exchange and exports, hurting margins by about 3.0 percentage points during the June quarter. It said its recovery programme helped offset about half of that impact.
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