Roneli and Bohemia Beer Pvt. Ltd. Launches Bohemian King in India

RONELI, A joint-stock company of Roneli SE and Bohemia Beer Pvt. Ltd, announced the launch, Bohemian King beer in India. The company aims to become the sixth largest player in the Indian beer industry in the next one year, with sales of around 270 to 280 Million cases. Bohemia Beer Pvt. Ltd plans to invest Rs 500 crore in India over the next five years and is looking at setting up a manufacturing unit here. Confident of the growth of the premium segment, the company also announced its desire to go for an IPO in the next couple of years.

Using a recipe secured directly from the Brevnov Monastery in Prague – the oldest brewery in the Czech Republic (established in 993 AD) and located in the heart of Bohemia – Bohemian KING contains more than 1,000 years of Czech brewing experience and tradition, according to a press release which also claims this is the first Czech beer to be launched in India.

Milan Hovorka, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in India, on the occasion of the launch said, “The Embassy of the Czech Republic is honoured and pleased to be part of this historic moment. I am grateful to all who have been working hard to transform a long term dream of having a truly Czech beer and thus a part of our culture in India in to reality. I wish many Indians had the opportunity to taste this nice beer.”

Rakesh Dhawan, Managing Director, Bohemia Beer Pvt Ltd, said, “It is an exciting moment for us to launch the first Czech beer in India. We have formed this company with a vision of being a serious player in the growing Indian beer industry. The Indian beer market is currently growing at approximately ten per cent per annum and we aim to be the sixth largest player in the Indian beer market in our first year of operations.”

Gaurav Sharma, Director, Bohemia Beer Pvt. Ltd, said, “The premium segment where our brand will be focused is currently growing at much faster rate of approximately 200 per cent and we are confident that will be a player to reckon with is a short span of time. Recent government polices promoting beer consumption and various state governments allowing new sales channels like departmental stores, micro-brewery etc., will further provide the right impetus in sales.”

Antonin Kovarik, Export Director, Roneli, said, “Our partners comprises of some of the most experienced people from the industry and we are extremely happy to partner with them. India is a young country and we are excited to bring to them a unique Czech beer specifically formulated for them. Consumption of Beer in Czech Republic per Capita in the highest in the world. Beer is our national beverage and it is not a surprise that Czech people drink about 150 liters of beer annually. We foresee a huge potential in India as we expect the current consumption of beer to double in the country.”

Jiří Vondra, Director, Member of the company board, AJ Trade, said, “It is our pleasure to be part of the launch of Bohemian King in India and excited to be part of this long term partnership. It is our goal to establish more and more Czech-Indian businesses and aim to bring new partnerships and products to the Indian market. India and Czech Republic share a very strong business relationship and we expect larger interest from Indian entities to enter the Czech Republic and the European market.”

Under the JV, Roneli will provide the traditional Czech beer recipes, technical know-how, securing of premium hops and design of bottles. Bohemia Beer Pvt Ltd will be responsible for sales and marketing of the brand. In the first phase, Bohemian King will be available in Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Assam, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

Roneli has experience in constructing and operating breweries in Czech Republic. The company has designed breweries in different regions like in Vietnam and also in Africa namely Congo, and Angola.

Photo: Milan Hovorka, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in India poses with the beer at the product launch in Delhi recently.