Heineken's premium beer volume rises 4.5% in Q2, Kingfisher Ultra in India chips in

New Delhi: Dutch beer maker Heineken NV witnessed a 4.5 per cent volume growth in its premium category led by flagship brand Heineken along with significant contributions from Kingfisher Ultra in India and Savanna in Southern Africa in the September quarter, company's Chairman and CEO Dolf van den Brink said on Wednesday.

In India, organic beer volume grew by a mid-single-digit, the company said, adding that growth in India and Indonesia partially compensated for lower volume in Vietnam and Cambodia that led to beer volume organically declining by 1.2 per cent in the Asia Pacific region.

"We delivered a solid quarter of balanced growth, organically growing beer volume 0.7 per cent and net revenue 3.3 per cent. Our business continues to deliver in line with our plan in aggregate, despite some markets navigating challenging consumer and industry trends," van den Brink said in a statement.

He further said, "Our EverGreen strategy continues to shape our business. Premium volume grew 4.5 per cent, led by Heineken (up 8.7 per cent), with further significant contributions from Kingfisher Ultra in India and Savanna in Southern Africa." Heineken NV is the promoter of United Breweries Ltd which has a range of beers under the Kingfisher brand besides other labels such as Zingaro and Kalyani Black Label, among others.

The company said it is driving premiumisation at scale, led by the Heineken brand. Premium beer volume increased by 4.5 per cent led by Brazil, South Africa and India in the July-September quarter.

In the Asia Pacific region, Heineken said its "beer volume organically declined by 1.2 per cent with growth in India and Indonesia partially compensating for lower volume in Vietnam and Cambodia".

Consolidated premium volume declined by a mid-single-digit as strong growth of the Kingfisher Ultra franchise and Heineken Silver partly offset a decline of Tiger, it added.

"In India, organic beer volume grew by a mid-single-digit. As the market leader, we continue to expand and develop beer-centric occasions and shape the beer category to unlock the inherent growth. Premium volume grew in the thirties, led by Heineken Silver, Kingfisher Ultra and Kingfisher Ultra Max," the company said.

In the September quarter, Heineken NV posted a revenue of 9,072 million euros.