Bangalore, Sept 21: The Nasik facility of the liquor giant Seagram Manufacturing Ltd will go on stream shortly. With this, the company will be able to cater to the domestic spirit segment without adding further capacities.Seagram is planning to unveil more `India-exclusive' brands in the country. ``We are gearing up to launch more brands in the brandy and whisky range in the coming months,'' Seagram Manufacturing general manager (south) Deepak Katty said.
The company is also planning to unveil its premium scotch whisky - Chivas Regal - in India when the country removes tariff barriers as part of the world trade organisation agreements. ``The present tariff will not allow us to unveil the product with a huge price tag,'' he added.
The company has no plans to further increase the blending and bottling capacity for the time being. Currently the manufacturing units of the company are located in Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
He said the company would sponsor Hindi movies as part of a marketinginitiative to bring worldclass movies into the country. The first movie to be released under the Royal Stag Mega Movies initiative is Hollywood's latest box-office hit - The Mummy. The movie, which will be released in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam, will hit theatres on September 24.
The company claimed that Seagram's Royal Stag is one of the fastest growing whisky brands in India. Through the association with Universal Pictures, Royal Stag would be able to leverage the growing popularity of Hollywood movies in the country to increase the brand's mass appeal, he said.
Seagram operates in two global business segments - entertainment and spirits and wines. The entertainment business segment produces and distributes motion picture, television and home video products and operates theme parks and retail stores.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.