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United Breweries Ltd.

Company Background

The company is the beer-industry leader in India, controlling about 50% of the market. Dutch brewer Heineken holds a roughly 40% share in the company, while UB Group Chairman Vijay Mallya holds a stake of about 36%. Heineken owns much of its stake in the company through its Indian subsidiary, Scottish & Newcastle India.

Mallya's stake was once the same as Heineken's, but the Dutch company increased its interest 2013. Mallya, who also owns the grounded Kingfisher Airlines, was elected chairman of UB Group in 1983 at age 28. Prior to joining his family business, he worked for the American Hoechst Corporation (now Sanofi-Aventis) in the U.S. and Jenson & Nicholson in the U.K.

United Breweries was set up in 1915 after Scotsman Thomas Leishman bought and merged five breweries in south India. In 1947, the company was purchased by Mallya's father, Vittal Mallya. In 2004, United Breweries entered a joint venture with Scottish & Newcastle India, which is now owned by Heineken, to produce and sell beverages. The company behind India's best-selling beer, Kingfisher Strong, started manufacturing and distributing Heineken beer in India in 2009.

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