Empee Distilleries Ltd, part of the Empee group, has lined up Rs 200 crore for various projects during the current financial year. Besides, the company is planning to re-enter the beer business.
Speaking on the sidelines of its annual general meeting, MP Purushothaman, chairman, Empee Distilleries Ltd, said the proposed investment was mainly for backward integration and greenfield projects in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
The investment would be funded through debt, equity and internal accruals, added Nisha Purushothaman, joint managing director, Empee Distilleries.
The company has acquired land for its proposed 60 KLPD grain-based distillery project in Sangareddy district of Andhra Pradesh and has placed orders for the supply and erection of plant and machineries with Praj Industries. The project is expected to be commissioned by June 2010.
It has also acquired a bottling unit in Karnataka and is relocating the plant and machinery from Whitefield to Kolar in the state. This is likely to be completed by the end of the current fiscal.
Nisha Purushothaman said the group was planning to re-enter the beer market and was in talks with international beer brands. It had sold its brewing assets to the UB Group in 2002. “We have appointed a consultant to study on the approach,” she added.
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Among others, it is setting up a 500,000 hecto litre unit in Tamil Nadu through Appollo Alchobev, part of the Empee Group. The capacity of the plant can be raised up to 750,000 hecto litres.
She said the company had also decided to commence its real estate project, which was put on hold due to the slowdown. To start with, it would develop residential and commercial complex on 8.5 acre at Kuthambakkam, in Chennai. Of the total land, 1.2 million sft would be developed as a residential project targeting the middle-class.
The project cost would be around Rs 240 crore and funded through internal accruals and pre-booking.