United Breweries invests US$11.6M in new canning line
The new high-speed canning facility will expand packaging flexibility at Ellora Brewery and support UBL’s manufacturing capacity and premium beer strategy.
INDIA – United Breweries Limited (UBL), India’s largest beer manufacturer and part of the HEINEKEN Company, has commissioned a new canning line at its Ellora Brewery in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, with an investment of Rs 110 crore.
The new facility is expected to become operational in September 2026, subject to statutory approvals. UBL said the investment will strengthen its manufacturing footprint, improve brewery productivity and support growing beer demand in Maharashtra.
The canning line will be the first at Ellora Brewery and one of the fastest in UBL’s network, with a capacity of 40,000 cans per hour. The addition of canning capabilities to the brewery’s existing bottling infrastructure will provide greater packaging flexibility as consumer preferences evolve.
The investment will also support more efficient use of the brewery’s existing packaging infrastructure. Ellora Brewery currently has packaging capacity of up to 1.5 million cases per month, allowing UBL to optimise packaging formats according to market demand.
“Maharashtra is one of India’s most important beer markets, with significant headroom for category growth and premiumisation,” said UBL Managing Director and CEO Vivek Gupta.
“We will continue to invest ahead of demand and strengthen our local manufacturing footprint,” Gupta added.
The Ellora facility will initially produce cans of Kingfisher Strong, Kingfisher Premium, Bullet Strong and London Pilsner to meet demand in Maharashtra.
UBL said the additional canning capacity will also enable greater flexibility in packaging formats across its portfolio as demand changes, supporting its premiumisation strategy.
The investment follows UBL’s commissioning of a new canning line at its Nizam Brewery in Telangana in July 2026. The move forms part of the company’s continued focus on strengthening manufacturing capabilities and productivity across its Indian brewery network.
UBL also recently expanded Heineken Silver into Kerala, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, citing growing consumer demand for premium and international beer experiences.
The company said the Ellora investment will strengthen its ability to respond to market demand while expanding packaging options at one of its key manufacturing facilities in India.
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