United Breweries flags ₹400–500 crore cost hit as margins come under pressure
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.NEW DELHI: Demand for beer in India is holding up, but for United Breweries Ltd, rising costs and delayed pricing are squeezing margins.The Heineken NV-controlled maker of Kingfisher beer reported a weaker-than-expected performance for fiscal year 2026 (FY26), with revenue and profit declining even as volumes showed some resilience. A fresh wave of input cost inflation, particularly in packaging, alongside supply disruptions linked to the West Asia conflict, is driving the pressure in India’s tightly regulated beer market.Revenue from operations fell 10% to ₹1,746.3 crore in FY26 from ₹1,940.8 crore a year earlier, according to exchange filings, while profit declined 6.6% to ₹413.4 crore.For the quarter ended 31 March (Q4FY26), revenue was largely flat at ₹440 crore versus ₹442.7 crore a year earlier, while profit rose to ₹101.8 crore from ₹97.7 crore.
Volumes grew 4% in the quarter, but not enough to offset margin pressure. For FY26, volumes grew 3%, with premium volume growth at 21%.The company expects cost pressures of ₹400–500 crore to persist till Q2FY27, with inflation in glass bottles and aluminium cans, along with broader logistics and sourcing pressures, likely to keep margins under strain.“Glass is one factor and will contribute to a third of this ₹400-500 crore.
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