InBev eyes India, Mexico, Colombia opportunities

LEUVEN, Belgium, Dec 1 (Reuters) InBev , the world's largest beer producer by volume, would welcome the chance to move into and develop the beer markets in India, Mexico and Colombia, its chief executive said on Thursday.

''They are on the radar screen. They are sizeable, profitable and growth markets,'' Carlos Brito told a small group of reporters after the official opening of InBev's new global innovation and technology centre at its Belgian headquarters.

Brito added that competitors were no doubt also eyeing these markets with interest and stressed that InBev's main focus was expanding its existing business.

''We have a couple of people looking at outside opportunities, but 99 percent of us are looking at organic growth,'' Brito continued.

India is the only one of the so-called BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) in which InBev is not active. Brewing observers view it as the last untapped mega-market left, although InBev's rivals are already on the move.

SAB Miller bought the Indian business of Foster's in August to give it about a third of the Indian beer market.

Indian media reports said have in the past month that a proposed InBev joint venture with Varun Beverages was on the edge of collapse because of the wish of the Indian company's owner not to settle for a minority stake.

Brito said that InBev was not experiencing a problem in India, but did not elaborate.

InBev, whose key international brands are Stella Artois, Beck's, Brahma and Leffe, has made one major purchase this year -- of China's Fujian Sedrin Brewery.

It has also boosted its shareholding in South American brewer Quinsa to above 90 percent.

InBev's innovation and technology centre will employ 90 people at a single site aimed at monitoring InBev's global brands, its European output and potential new products.

REUTERS CS ND1216