Which are the most expensive beer brands in India? Even though India is the second largest country by population, when we talk about beer consumption, it doesn’t even make the top ten. Over the past seven years, the alcohol industry in the country has progressed a lot due to different factors, like strong economic growth, changes in the culture and new regulations. People in India weren’t really used to drinking beer, preferring the hard liquors instead. This has changed, and if this keeps up, we may see one of India’s own beer brands as one of the 16 most popular beers in the world in no time.
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Compared to other countries, India’s prices of beer are much more expensive, partly because of the high number of limitations for marketers who want to export and the difficulties obtaining the permission to establish a brewery. This list was based on the report done by Flanders Investment & Trade about the beer market in India. We used the results obtained about the prices of beer (most of them of 300 ml, except for two that were of 440 ml) in the country, combined the values given to the retail area and institutional pricing and made the list of the 20 most expensive beer brands in India.
Beer market is all about advertising, and that applies almost everywhere, but not in India. The advertisement of alcohol in the country is forbidden, so the companies have to work with what they have: distribution, prices and quality of the product.
20. Miller High Life
To start off with the cheapest beer on this list we have an American brand that was launched in 2011. Miller High Life is brewed by Sab Miller India, one of the leading players in the beer market.
Retail (Shops/ Off the Shelf Sale): 90 INR / 1.38 USD
Institutional Pricing (Pubs and Hotels): 195 INR / 2.99 USD
Average: 142,5 INR / 2,18 USD
19. San Miguel Pale Pilsen
Being imported in over 40 countries, “San Miguel Pale Pilsen” is one of the most popular Philippine beer brands in the world.
Retail: 110 INR / 1.68 USD
Institutional Pricing: 215 INR / 3.30 USD
Average: 162, 5 INR / 2,49 USD
18. Tuborg Green
India has one of the fastest growing economies in the world today, the food and beverage industry is expected to grow 18% by 2018, and the Carlsberg group, which brews the “Tuborg Green”, is part of it. Beer industry, in particular, is difficult to predict due to uncertainty regarding taxes, which varies from state to state and can be of 15% up to 70%, but even then, they have a total of six breweries in the country and own 6% of the market share.
Retail: 110 INR / 1.68 USD
Institutional Pricing: 220 INR / 3.37 USD
Average: 165 INR / 2.53 USD
17. Becks
“Becks” is not the only German and beer related thing that arrived to India. The festival Oktoberfest has become very popular in numerous cities of the country.
Retail: 120 INR / 1.84 USD
Institutional Pricing: INR 235 / 3.60 USD
Average: 177,5 INR / 2,72 USD
16. Heineken
This beer is available in over 70 countries, and in most of them, the legal age to drink goes from 18 to 21. In India, the legal age to drink varies from state to state, and in some of them it’s even completely forbidden. Until 1980, the earliest a person could legally consume alcohol was when they turned 28, and since 2010 the minimum changed to 18 in some states.
Retail: 120 INR / 1.84USD
Institutional Pricing: 240 INR / 3.68USD
Average: 180 INR / 2.76 US
15. Corona Extra
Drinking is no longer considered a taboo amongst the young crowd, especially with women. Even though the amount of men that consume alcohol is much more higher (35% vs 5%), the percentage of women who do has been slowly but steadily growing over the past years, though they usually go for vodka based cocktails or wine rather than the iconic bottle of beer with the lime inside.
Retail: 195 INR / 2.99 USD
Institutional Pricing: 275 INR / 4.22 USD
Average: 235 INR / 3.60 USD
14. Sol
“Sol” is another Mexican brand. Companies have to pay excise for selling alcohol, and the amount varies between states. The logic behind the high amount of taxes is that the price of the products will increase, therefore the demand along with the incidence of problems will be lower.
Retail (Shops/ Off the Shelf Sale): 200 INR – 3.0704USD
Institutional Pricing (Pubs and Hotels): 310 INR – 4.75912USD
Average: 255 INR – 3.91476USD
13. Estrella
Over the past years, some business have been trying to change the culture of necessarily having a beer in loud, crowded places. Now you can get one, the “Estrella” included, as casually as you would get a cup of coffee at “The Beer Café”.
Retail: 240 INR / 3.68 USD
Institutional Pricing: 325 INR / 4.98 USD
Average: 282,5 INR / 4,33 USD
12. Amstel
The per-capita consumption of beer in India is expected to be of 2.6 liters by 2016. The brand “Amstel” belongs to the country with the highest consumption of beer per person: Czech Republic, with a total amount of 156.9 liters.
Retail: 250 INR / 3.83 USD
Institutional Pricing: 335 INR / 5.14 USD
Average: 292,5 INR / 4,49 USD
11. London Pride
Times have changed and people all over the world have become more health conscious. Companies started introducing diet alternatives for alcoholic beverages as the fear of the “beer belly” increased, and they have been a huge success, though neither this nor its price have really stopped them from buying UK’S best selling premium ale.
Retail: 200 INR / 3.07 USD
Institutional Pricing: 415 INR / 6.37 USD
Average: 307,5 INR / 4,72 USD
10. Stella Artois
At the tenth place on our 20 Most Expensive Beer Brands in India, we have the “Stella Artois” which was brought to the country by Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest beer brewing company.
Retail: 230 INR / 3.53 USD
Institutional Pricing: 420 INR / 6.44 USD
Average: 325 INR / 4.98 USD
9. Asahi
“Asahi” is Japan’s most popular and first dry beer. Though Indians usually go for stronger and darker ales, this isn’t the case anymore. Now it’s common to give opportunities to foreign and lighter beers.
Retail: 225 INR / 3.45 USD
Institutional Pricing: 435 INR / 6.6 USD
Average: 330 INR / 5.06 USD
8. Erdinger Weissbier Beer
This beer is brewed at the largest wheat beer brewer. The cost of it in India is much higher than other countries, making it one of the few where getting a beer is actually more expensive than buying a Big Mac.
Retail: 280 INR / 4.29 USD
Institutional Pricing: 440 INR / 6.75 USD
Average: 360 INR / 5.52 USD
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7. Hoegaarden
Regulations in India about labelling are very strict, especially if the products are being imported. The label should include information like the country of origin, content weight, and the languages allowed to use are English, Hindi or Devanagari. Last year, stricter rules were applied regarding the use of imprints and not stickers to list the ingredients, and many imported beers, “Hoegaarden” included, were taken out of the market for months.
Retail: 250 INR / 3.83 USD
Institutional Pricing: 475 INR / 7.29 USD
Average: 362,5 INR / 5,56 USD
6. Leffe Blond
A web portal was launched by the European Commission, which includes information about importing and exporting goods into and from the EU to help businesses. This allows brands like “Leffe” a better understanding of custom procedures in countries like India.
Retail: 300 INR / 4.60 USD
Institutional Pricing: 565 INR / 8.67 USD
Average: 432,5 INR / 6,63 USD
5. Schneider Weisse
“Schneider Weisse” is brewed at Bavaria, following strictly the Reinheitsgebot, or beer purity law, which states that the only ingredients allowed to brew the beverage are: hops, barley malt, yeast and water.
Retail: 350 INR / 5.37 USD
Institutional Pricing: 575 INR / 8.82 USD
Average: 462,5 INR / 7,10 USD
4. Murphy’s Black Stout (400 ml)
Ireland is the second country with the highest consumption of beer per-capita, with 131.1 liters per person. “Murphy’s Black Stout” may be partly responsible for this, brewing with the exact same ingredients since 1856.
Retail: 350 INR / 5.37 USD
Institutional Pricing: 675 INR / 10.36 USD
Average: 512,5 INR / 7,86 USD
3. Guinness Draught (400 ml)
Placed number 3, we have another Irish beer. Ever since this brand was created, it was expected it would be around for a really long time. In 1759, founder Arthur Guinness leased the brewery they have in Dublin for 9000 years.
Retail: 335 INR / 5.14 USD
Institutional Pricing: 720 INR / 11.05 USD
Average: 527,5 INR / 8,09 USD
2. Chimay Red
In addition to founding “The Beer Café”, Pradeep Gidwani is also founder of “The Pint Room”. Both business are trying and succeeding in making beer as common and socially acceptable as coffee. Amongst their variety of brands, you can find the “Chimay Red”
Retail: 319 INR / 4.89 USD
Institutional Pricing: 825 INR / 12.66 USD
Average: 572 INR / 8.78 USD
1. Duvel
The beer market in India is expected to grow 13.2% by 2016, this wouldn’t be able to happen if all brands were as expensive as the one at the end of our 20 Most Expensive Beer Brands in India list, with an average cost of almost 11 USD: the “Duvel”.
Retail: 450 INR / 6.90 USD
Institutional Pricing: 980 INR / 15.04 USD
Average: 715 INR / 10.97 USD
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