Cobra buys first brewery

Cobra has acquired its first ever brewery in India.

The group, owned by Lord Karan Bilimoria, has acquired a 76% controlling stake in Iceberg Industries.

The purchase of its first brewery represents a significant development for the company as currently it only brews under licence in the UK, Belgium, The Netherlands and five further locations in India.

"Since we began brewing Cobra in India for the Indian market, back in 2005, we've made phenomenal progress,"​ said Bilimoria.

"The market is expanding at an incredible rate, and we're delighted to see so many Indian beer-lovers embracing Cobra as the market grows. ​

"The purchase of Iceberg will help us take Cobra to a whole new level in India, allowing us to increase and manage our capacity and to really focus considerable effort on the Indian market."

Iceberg currently has a manufacturing capacity of three million cases per year and will cater for Cobra's markets in north and east India. Cobra Beer will have full management control including operations, sales, mark and brewing.

Adrian McKeon, Cobra chief executive, added: "The potential for Cobra in India is huge with the beer industry there having grown by 27% in the last fiscal year. ​

"We're looking at capturing a 10% share in the Indian beer market by 2012 and in order to achieve this we need to substantially increase our brewing capacity to sustain our growth.

"The acquisition of Iceberg is an important first step in helping us do this."