Mohan Meakin to market Golden Eagle Beer  ( February '22,2001, ET)

MOHAN Meakin, the oldest spirit company in the country, has signed an agreement with Millennium Breweries and Allied Products, a new company jointly floated by Ravi Jain and Suraj Gupta, for marketing nine million cases of Golden Eagle Beer and its own spirits business of over eight million cases.

Golden Eagle is one of the largest beer brands in the country, given that the Indian beer market is around 70 million cases. The over-eight million cases spirit segment of Mohan Meakin include its flagship brand Old Monk rum which sells nearly six million cases a year.

Ravi Jain, director MBAP, told the Economic Times that he is expects Old Monk rum sales to cross the 10 million-mark within a year. Ravi Jain's strategy is to reposition Mohan Meakin' products as contemporary and relevant while retaining its quality and taste.

"Through integrated marketing efforts, the task is to strengthen and provide direction to the existing distributors network and sales force," he said. Mohan Meakin has not marketed its products aggressively, though it is the oldest (140 years) and one of the largest spirit and beer companies in the country. The new company is planning to put all its marketing might behind Mohan Meakin' brands.