Latest news with #Bevco
New Indian Express
06-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Kerala to produce its own brandy
PALAKKAD: The Kerala government is all set to foray into an uncharted territory. For the first time, the state will produce its own brandy, building on the roaring success of its popular rum brand 'Jawan'. The brandy will be produced on the sprawling campus of the state-run Malabar Distilleries Limited in Menonpara, Palakkad, and is set to be rolled out by February 2026. 'Construction work on the Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) manufacturing unit at Malabar Distilleries — where the brandy will be made — will begin at 11.30am on July 7. The ground-breaking ceremony will be inaugurated by Excise Minister M B Rajesh in the presence of Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty,' Harshita Attaluri, chairperson and managing director of Bevco, told TNIE. The fully automatic unit will be equipped with three-line production capacity, and authorities have set a target of 13,500 cases of liquor daily. Initially, at least 40 workers will be employed on-site on a single shift. At the unit, extra neutral alcohol will be added with certain chemicals, blended and bottled. The brandy will be brown in colour — not the now trendy white one. From blending and bottling to capping and final packaging, the entire process will be fully automated. The daily manufacturing quantity will be much higher compared to the Jawan Deluxe XXX Rum. Currently, 6,000 to 8,000 cases of rum are made daily at Travancore Sugars and Chemicals Limited plant at Pulikeezhu in Pathanamthitta — that too, completely manually. 'The state's unique alcohol culture plays a key role in the new venture. Rum may rule south Kerala, but in the north, brandy is king. This consumer insight is the driving force behind the strategic location and product decision,' sources said.
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Time of India
Dry day booze sale busted, one arrested
T'puram: Fort police on Tuesday arrested a man for selling Indian made foreign liquor in black market at double or triple prices. The accused stored the liquor in large quantities at his flat and sold it at high prices on dry days. The arrested person was identified as Rijas, 35, of Karimadom Colony near Manacaud. Police raided his house based on a tip-off and seized several bottles of beer and liquor. "The accused used to buy small quantities of liquor from Bevco outlets and sold them during dry days," police said. The accused had quarrelled with some people who bought the liquor over the exorbitant price charged. The same people later alerted police about the sale of liquor in black market at his flat. The liquor was stored in a secret chamber inside his flat, police informed. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025 , messages and quotes!
New Indian Express
18-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Kerala beer sales losing fizz, decline 8.6 per cent in two years
KOCHI: Kerala, it seems, is no longer looking to beat the heat with a chilled bottle of beer! Over the 2023-25 period, consumption of the beverage in the state declined by a sharp 8.6%, or nearly 10 lakh cases. This downturn underscores Kerala's enduring preference for hard liquor, a characteristic of its traditionally brown spirits market that holds firm even during record-breaking heat, as data from the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco) confirms. Bevco managing director Harshita Attaluri told TNIE that beer consumption has been on the decline over the past two years, and she attributed the slump to public preference. As per the Beverages corporation's data, beer sales slumped from 112 lakh cases -- both wholesale (to bars) and retail (Bevco outlets) — in 2022-23 fiscal to 102.39 lakh cases in 2024-25. Meanwhile, consumption of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) through the wholesale and retail routes surged by 9.74 lakh cases in the two-year period to 229.12 lakh cases. In contrast, beer sales increased year-on-year by 9% nationally during 2024-25, according to Brewers Association of India (BAI), the apex body of the Indian beer industry, representing India's leading beer manufacturers.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Warehouse fire: Loss estimated between 5cr and 10cr
Kottayam: Excise minister M B Rajesh on Wednesday said a comprehensive and serious probe will be conducted into the fire that broke out in the beverage outlet and warehouse in Pulikkeezhu near Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta fire caused a loss estimated between Rs 5 crore and Rs 10 crore to the Kerala State Beverages (M&M) Corporation Ltd (Bevco), its managing director Harshita Attaluri said on Wednesday. Around 45,000 cases of liquor were destroyed in the blaze, she added. The minister said steps will be taken to resume the functioning of the warehouse soon and added that the fire was unexpected and a matter of utmost seriousness. He also mentioned that a high-level meeting will be held to formulate a standard operating procedure. Safety arrangements will be strengthened in all shops and warehouses. A fire audit will be made compulsory, the minister minister was accompanied by Mathew T Thomas MLA and district deputy excise commissioner K R fire broke out on Tuesday night at the outlet and warehouse. The liquor to be supplied in Alappuzha, Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts was stored in the building that was part of the sugar factory in Pulikkeezhu. Officials from the beverages corporation, excise and police examined the place. tnn
New Indian Express
14-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Fire engulfs Bevco warehouse in Tiruvalla
PATHANAMTHITTA: A massive fire broke out at the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco) warehouse and an adjacent office in Pulikeezhu in Tiruvalla on Tuesday night, destroying liquor worth several lakhs of rupees. Officials said the fire, which erupted around 8.15pm, has gutted a significant portion of the warehouse. According to residents, there were some welding works going on in a building in the area. Some of them alleged that a spark from these works can be the reason behind the fire. 'As the spirit was stored in the bottles, the fire intensified,' a local resident the fire force officials did not respond to this. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown. Seven fire departments were deployed at the site to control the blaze. Despite relentless efforts for over an hour, the fire could not be brought under control, and a large section of the facility was reduced to ashes. According to initial reports, due to the fire, small explosions occurred with the burning of liquor bottles. Near to the godown, there is a distillery producing Jawan brand liquor. A senior fire department official confirmed that a portion of the godown was destroyed. 'An investigation into the cause will follow once the fire is fully extinguished,' the official said. The incident is likely to cause significant financial loss for Bevco and raise concerns about the safety measures at its warehouses. The authorities are expected to assess the extent of the damage and initiate a detailed inquiry into the incident.
