H2FY18 should be better; worst is over: United Breweries

Shekhar Ramamurthy

MD | United Breweries

• H2FY18 should be better; worst is over: United Breweries

• Expect to grow slightly better than industry: United Breweries

• See no hike in prices; eyeing SC relief on city bars, outlets: United Breweries

Liquor stocks gained on Friday after a strong show from United Spirits in Q2. In an interview to CNBC-TV18, Shekhar Ramamurthy, MD of United Breweries spoke about the latest happenings in his company and sector.

Impact of the highway ban has gotten mitigated because many outlets have reopened post Supreme Court (SC) clarification in July, he said.

We always believe that the second half of the year (H2FY18) will be better. We are optimistic that going forward the worst will be behind us, he added.

Confidence is coming back, optimism is coming back and we see increase in consumption. Same-store-sales numbers are higher than last year, said Ramamurthy.

The overall industry is still low single digit growth, he said.

Our focus has always been on controlling costs and driving revenue, he further mentioned.

The impact of goods and services tax (GST) has been less than we anticipated. For our business, GST has not been a disruptor because our output is not in GST, Ramamurthy said.