International Market Carlsberg Report

Boom predicted in Indian beer market

One of the world's largest breweries plans to invest $100m (Ј70m) in the Indian beer market in the next five years.

South African Breweries (SAB), the world's fifth largest brewer, aims to increase its share of the Indian market from 4% to 25%.

SAB says it expects the Indian market, currently selling 72 million cases of beer a year, to treble in size in the next 10 years.

A shift in drinking preferences from spirits to beer, and also some relaxation in terms of government restrictions will bring about the increase in consumption, a company spokesman told the BBC's World Business Report.

Per capita beer consumption is currently low in India at about half a litre.

SAB predicts this will rise to about 18 litres per capita over the next five or six years.

SAB has already bought Narang Breweries and Mysore Breweries.

The company controls 98% of its domestic market and is strong in Sub-Saharan Africa, China, Central Eastern