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“Approvals from Heineken & AB InBev — recognition of India’s capabilities”
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Monday, 07 July, 2025, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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 Inox India Ltd has marked a major milestone in its diversification journey by securing approvals from two of the world’s largest brewery giants Heineken and AB InBev for its stainless-steel beverage kegs. This strategic endorsement highlights the company’s shift from its core cryogenic engineering roots to the rapidly evolving global beverage packaging industry. With a focus on sustainability, customisation, and precision manufacturing the company is poised to position India as a credible force in the global F&B packaging supply chain. In this exclusive email interaction with Abhitash Singh, Deepak Acharya, CEO of Inox India Ltd, sheds light on what these approvals mean for Indian manufacturing, the future of stainless-steel kegs, and how the company’s cryogenic legacy empowers its new ventures. Excerpts:
What does receiving approvals from Heineken and AB InBev mean for Indian manufacturing on a global stage?
This is truly a landmark moment for Indian keg manufacturing. Securing approvals from two of the world’s largest and most respected brewery brands like Heineken and AB InBev is not just a business milestone for us—it’s a recognition of India’s capabilities in delivering world-class, precision-engineered, hygienic equipment that meets and even exceeds global benchmarks. For us this validates the superior quality systems embedded in our Savli manufacturing facility, which holds certifications such as NSF and FSSC 22000. The audit process was both rigorous and expansive, spanning several weeks. It covered a detailed inspection of hygiene practices, infrastructure, quality assurance systems, staff capabilities, and traceability mechanisms. More importantly, this recognition reshapes the global perception of Indian manufacturing—from being seen as a low-cost outsourcing alternative to being considered a reliable, high-quality, innovation-led manufacturing partner. It showcases our deep-rooted expertise in stainless steel fabrication and welding technology that we've honed since 1991. These approvals not only open new avenues for strategic partnerships but also place India on the map as a competitive force in quality-sensitive sectors such as premium beverages and food packaging.
How do you see the global market evolving for stainless-steel beverage kegs across various beverage categories?
The global stainless-steel keg market is evolving at a rapid pace. While beer remains the dominant use case, we are witnessing significant traction in segments like wine, cider, kombucha, nitro coffee, and RTD (Ready-to-Drink) cocktails especially in markets such as Africa, Korea, and Japan. This shift is being driven by two defining trends: sustainability and premiumisation. On one hand, both consumers and regulators are pushing for eco-friendly, reusable packaging solutions. On the other, craft and specialty beverage makers are seeking packaging that reinforces their brand identity and preserves freshness. Consequently, there’s rising demand for smaller keg formats and customisable options such as embossing, RFID tagging, and silk-screen printing. We have strategically positioned to meet this demand with our versatile keg portfolio, advanced customisation capabilities, and proximity to growth markets in Asia and beyond.
What role is sustainability playing in shaping the future of beverage packaging solutions?
Sustainability has moved beyond a trend it's now a central tenet in shaping the future of packaging. The global beverage industry is under increasing pressure to adopt returnable, low-waste solutions, and stainless-steel kegs offer a compelling answer. Unlike single-use cans or PET bottles, stainless-steel kegs are built for long-term reuse and drastically reduce packaging waste. To give a practical example a single half-barrel keg can replace thousands of disposable units over its lifecycle. This significantly reduces not only plastic waste but also transportation costs and emissions due to their stackability and volume efficiency. Sustainability is core to our manufacturing ethos. Our PSP (Polypropylene + Stainless Steel) kegs are made using high-quality, non-recycled steel to ensure hygiene, durability, and consistency especially critical for food-grade applications. The use of lightweight, recyclable, and reusable materials aligns perfectly with the environmental and functional goals of modern beverage brands. Commercially, our kegs offer a strong value proposition: they recover their cost within just two filling cycles, making them an economically and environmentally intelligent choice.
Is India emerging as a serious contender in the global supply chain for F&B equipment and packaging?
Absolutely, India is not just emerging it is asserting itself as a credible, quality-driven global hub for F&B equipment and packaging. The recent certifications from Heineken and AB InBev for our kegs are a reflection of that confidence. These recognitions are not merely about meeting technical specifications—they signify trust in India’s ability to consistently meet global hygiene norms, regulatory frameworks, and quality assurance protocols. Several key strengths are fueling this transformation: India’s engineering talent, cost competitiveness, and geographic advantage in reaching high-growth markets across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. At Inox, our Savli facility embodies this shift. With decades of experience in precision stainless-steel manufacturing, the plant now serves clients with sophisticated keg features like RFID tagging, silk-screen printing, and custom embossing backed by globally recognised certifications.
How are you integrating customisation and traceability features to meet global client expectations?
Customisation and traceability are non-negotiable requirements for today’s global beverage clients. That’s why we’ve invested heavily in infrastructure and automation to deliver these at scale. Our Savli facility supports a wide array of customisation options: keg capacities ranging from 10L to 60L, format variants such as Euro, Din, Slim, USA, and stackable/non-stackable options. We also provide enhancements like Safety Bursting Discs for additional operational safety. For branding, we offer custom logo embossing, engraving, and silk-screening, enabling our clients to maintain a consistent brand identity across markets. Even the pickling and passivation processes are tailored per client requirements to enhance corrosion resistance and aesthetic value. In terms of traceability, each keg undergoes 100% leak testing and quality verification. We offer RFID tagging to enable real-time tracking of each unit especially useful for keg rental companies and large breweries managing vast inventories.
What synergies exist between Inox’s core cryogenic business and its new venture into beverage kegs?
Our entry into beverage kegs is a natural extension of our strengths in cryogenic and pressure vessel engineering.  For over 30 years, we have been at the forefront of stainless-steel fabrication, welding technology, and process integrity for LNG, industrial gases, and scientific applications. These skills directly complement the needs of keg manufacturing—be it sanitary welding, pressure testing, hygiene assurance, or global standard compliance. Moreover, our cryogenic background has honed our ability to manufacture at scale with strict process control, ensuring product uniformity and safety. Both keg and cryogenic solutions are aligned with the global drive for sustainability whether it's clean energy via LNG or eco-conscious beverage packaging.
How do you maintain a balance between competitive pricing and high-quality manufacturing?
We don’t believe in choosing between quality and cost we engineer both through process optimisation and vertical integration. Our in-house engineering and design teams help reduce dependency and ensure consistent quality. We source premium 304/316-grade stainless steel from reliable Indian suppliers, giving us both quality and cost control. Each keg is certified with NSF and FSSC 22000, ensuring compliance with international food safety and product durability standards. Every single unit undergoes 100% leak testing before dispatch. These stringent systems help us deliver a value-rich product—not the cheapest, but the most reliable and performance-driven in its category.
What is your long-term outlook on the beverage keg industry, both in India and globally?
The global outlook is highly promising, driven by sustainability regulations and evolving consumer preferences. In developed markets like the US, Europe, and Japan, we see growing emphasis on craft beverages, smaller batch production, and on-premise experiences such as taprooms and brewpubs. In India, the market is still nascent but ripe with potential. With urbanisation, rising disposable incomes, and a young demographic open to trying new formats like draft beer and RTD cocktails, keg adoption will increase significantly in the coming years. The current low penetration levels only underline the massive untapped opportunity that lies ahead. We are optimistic and prepared both in terms of capacity and capability to serve this emerging demand domestically and internationally.
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