The company is planning to acquire three breweries in the country within the next six months. It is also exploring the possibilities of entering into a bottling arrangement with a couple of domestic breweries.

The company has started negotiating with the breweries for the acquisition as well as the bottling arrangement.

Speaking to The Financial Express, company managing director Pradeep Gidwani said: "We are currently working on a market expansion plan. For this we need to increase our production capacity, therefore we plan to acquire three breweries - two in the south and one in the north."

According to him, the company plans to launch Fosters beer across the country, but to do so it requires a higher production capacity. Currently, the company has a production capacity of 2 lakh cases per month. It plans to increase its production facility by atleast 150 per cent within the next six to eight months."

Mr Gidwani said: "We are well positioned in the western India which accounts for 40 per cent of the country's beer consumption. Our plant at Aurangabad can take of this market. But to cater to other major markets, south (accounts for 35 per cent) and north (which accounts for 20 per cent) we need to increase our production capacity. Hence, the decision to acquire the breweries."

He said, "We are exploring all possibilities, from acquisition to a bottling arrangement, whichever works out better and faster."

Mr Gidwani informed that the company was planning to make an investment of Rs 35 crore towards its Indian operations. He said the company has sought the Foreign Investment Promotion Board's clearance for bringing in fresh foreign direct investment into the country."

The company has introduced Foster's Lager beer in the country which is available in Maharastra, Goa, Pondicherry, Hyderabad and Delhi. The beer was launched in Delhi on Friday.

Mr Gidwani said: "Though we have a range of beer in our portfolio, currently we plan to concentrate only on Foster's Lager beer in the country." He added perhaps after the Quantitative Restrictions are lifted and the excise duty is bought down to a reasonable level we will look at importing our international range of products into the country."However, he said our imports will purely depend on the rate of excise duty.

If it continues at the current rate we will continue to concentrate only on production of this brand in the country.