United Breweries Ltd (UB) has asked the West Bengal government to review its excise policy as it considers expanding Heineken beer production at its existing brewery in the state and exploring exports to north-eastern India and overseas markets, a senior state official said on Monday.
Chief minister’s adviser Subrata Gupta said the request was made during a meeting in Kolkata between state commerce and industries minister Tapas Roy, government officials and a Dutch business delegation led by Netherlands ambassador Marisa Gerards. UB was among the companies represented at the meeting.
According to Gupta, UB wants to expand its brewery in West Bengal to supply additional beer to north-eastern states and south-east Asian countries. The company has sought changes to the state’s excise duty structure, which it sees as relevant to the proposed expansion and export plans.
The state government has asked UB to submit a formal proposal for examination by the excise and finance departments, Gupta said. This means the request is still at the review stage, with no confirmed investment amount, production capacity, export volume or implementation timeline announced in the information available.
The proposal places the excise department at the centre of the next step. Any change in the duty structure would require examination by the relevant state departments before the government can decide whether to alter the policy. The finance department is also expected to assess the implications of the request.
The wider meeting focused on expanding the operations of Dutch companies already present in India and in Kolkata. Gupta said representatives of seven Dutch companies attended and were seeking government support for business expansion. He said the discussions covered how the government could respond to their requests and that some decisions had been taken to strengthen cooperation.
For West Bengal, the proposal connects industrial investment with the state’s role as a potential supply base for markets beyond its borders. The north-eastern states and overseas destinations identified by UB would require the company to expand production and organise distribution from the state. However, the government has not yet disclosed whether the proposed expansion would involve a new facility, additions to the existing brewery or changes to related logistics infrastructure.
The next formal milestone is UB’s submission to the state government. The proposal will then be examined by the excise and finance departments before any decision on the requested policy changes.
