United Breweries ropes in French maltster to open malthouse in Rajasthan

Soufflet Malt, a French maltster, will set up a state-of-the-art malthouse in South Rajasthan, in partnership with United Breweries Limited (UBL).

The new facility would provide high-quality malt for brewing of beers such as Kingfisher and Heineken, said a regulatory filing made by UBL, part of the HEINEKEN Company, on Friday.

According to the filing, the first phase of the facility is expected to be commissioned in the beginning of 2028. The new facility will kick off with a malt production capacity of 110,000 tonnes per year, with plans to double capacity during the second phase of the project.

Vivek Gupta, MD & CEO, United Breweries Limited said, “As a category maker, we are committed to the long-term growth of beer in India. Our partnership with Soufflet Malt is strategic and future focused, strengthening our backward integration, securing a consistent supply of high quality malt and preparing us for the next phase of category growth.’’

This malthouse would reinforce UBL’s sustainable sourcing ambitions and position Rajasthan as an important brewing hub, supporting farmers, local agriculture, economic development and employment opportunities, he further said.

The new malthouse will generate 400 direct and indirect jobs, along with 700 positions across the supply chain. Moreover, the investment will empower and train over 50,000 Indian farmers with a plan to source up to 250,000 tonnes of barley annually, as per the BSE filing.

Meanwhile, UBL has secured trademark protection, a sound mark registration, for its iconic Kingfisher jingle, Oo La La La Le O, which was conceived in 1996 when Mr. Vijay Mallya was at the helm of the UB Group. The registration, granted by the Trade Marks Registry, effective from 31 January 2025 will remain valid for ten years and can be renewed thereafter.