(i) Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (“AB InBev SA”) is engaged in the production, distribution and sale of beer, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks. It offers a portfolio of over 500 beer brands including Budweiser, Corona, Stella Artois, Beck’s, Castle, Hoegaarden, Leffe, Aguila, Antarctica, Sedrin, SKOL etc. It has its operations in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific. The company was founded in 1366 with its headquarters is in Belgium. It is the ultimate holding company of Anheuser Busch InBev India Limited.

(ii) Anheuser Busch Inbev India Limited (“AB InBev” or the “Company” or the “Client”) is engaged in brewing, packaging, distribution and sale of beer in India. It was incorporated in November 1988 as SKOL Breweries Limited and was renamed as SAB Miller India Limited (“SAB Miller”) in 2012. Post acquisition of SAB Miller Plc by AB InBev SA in October 2016, the name of the Company was further changed to Anheuser Busch InBev India Limited with its registered office in Mumbai.

(iii) Ab InBev is the second largest player in the Indian beer market both in terms of volume and value. The beer brands of the Company are categorised into following segments:

a) Core – Includes brands which were part of erstwhile SAB Miller such as Haywards, Knock Out and Royal Challenge (~73% of FY20 revenues)

b) Core plus – Includes Becks which was launched in FY19 (~3.6% of FY20 revenues)

c)  Premium – Includes Budweiser (Premium, Super Premium, Magnum and King of Beers), 7 Rivers Machaa, 7 Rivers Veere and Redback (~20% of FY20 revenues)

d) Value – Includes Fosters (~2.8% of FY20 revenues)

e)  Non- Alcoholic Beverages (“NAB”) – Budweiser 0.0 and Hoegaarden 0.0 (which are currently imported and <1% of FY20 revenues) The Company is primarily engaged in the business of brewing, packaging distribution, marketing, and sale of beer. The Parent Company together with its subsidiary, SPR Distilleries Private Limited, is referred to as "the Group".

(iv) As at 31 March 2021, AB InBev owns 10 breweries in various states in India such as Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa and Kerala with majority of the volumes sold in Telangana, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. In addition, the Company also has 3 breweries from where it gets beer brewed on a contract basis. And as on date, only three breweries are operating at utilization of more than 60% of the installed capacity. Out of the 10 breweries owned by the Company, only 2 breweries (Karnataka and Haryana) have the capability to produce Budweiser in India.

Recent News:

(a) In Oct-2019, the AB InBev has signed an agreement with hotel chain The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), to launch a chain of 15 microbreweries over the next five years to sell craft beer at the hotel chain's top properties in India. With the rising culture of craft beer, this step will help the company to boost its revenue. In the craft beer segment, United Breweries recently launched Kingfisher Ultra Witbier while AB InBev has launched two wheat variants, Machaa and Veere.

(b) In 2019, the parent company AB InBev has announced that they are looking to invest 1000 Cr over the next 5 years in its Indian operation. Apart from alcoholic drinks, the company is also focussing on Non-Alcoholic drinks. Recently, they have launched Budweiser 0.0 a Non-Alcoholic drink.

(c) The top two beer makers in India i.e. United Breweries and AB InBev are expecting a single-digit growth in FY20-21 due to the curb of beer sales in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka by Govt new regulations. These three states account for 1/4th of total beer sales.

Subsidiaries:

AB InBev had two wholly-owned subsidiaries i.e. SPR Distilleries Private Limited and Crown Beers India Private Limited. However, in the year 2018, both the companies got amalgamated in the parent company.