Simba is stepping into its next phase of growth with a sharper expansion strategy, stronger brewery tie-ups, and a focused push into large, high-consumption states. The beer and alcobev brand wants to scale up without losing its premium image, said Ishwaraj Singh Bhatia, Co-founder and COO, Simba.
The company, which was earlier present in 12 states, has now expanded to 16. New markets include Jharkhand, with upcoming launches planned in Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha.
“We’re not chasing volumes for the sake of it,” Bhatia said. “The goal is to grow selectively, so that our distribution expands without hurting the brand’s premium perception.”
That approach is already showing results. Simba’s gross merchandise value (GMV) jumped from around ₹725 crore in FY24 to ₹1,005 crore in FY25, a growth of nearly 39 per cent year-on-year. This growth has been faster than its volume expansion, underlining the success of its premiumisation strategy.
“This clearly tells us we’re on the right track. Revenue is growing faster than volumes, which is exactly what we want,” he added.
In terms of volumes, Simba sold about 4 million cases in FY25, up from 2.9 million cases in FY24 — a nearly 28 per cent increase. This was driven largely by deeper penetration in existing markets.
“Last year, our focus was on strengthening the markets we were already present in. That’s why we saw strong growth both in absolute numbers and percentages,” Bhatia said.
To support its entry into new states, Simba has partnered with multiple breweries to ensure local production and smoother logistics. The company has finalised a brewery tie-up in Madhya Pradesh, with the first brew expected by March 1, and has also partnered with another brewery in Karnataka.
Until now, Simba operated only in the premium segment in Karnataka. It is now entering the state with a mass-premium beer called Simba Wild, which will first launch in Delhi and Bengaluru, followed by other markets.
“Karnataka did about 1.5 lakh cases last year. With Simba Wild, we’re aiming to at least double that, and ideally reach around 3.5 lakh cases next year,” he said.
Local brewing is also key for markets like Uttar Pradesh, where high import duties make logistics expensive. “To meet seasonal demand and stay competitive, we needed a local brewery in UP,” Bhatia explained, adding that Punjab remains on hold for now.
Across these new large markets, Simba is targeting sales of 2–3 lakh cases per state in the first year.
Capacity expansion has gone hand in hand with market growth. Earlier, Simba had one unit each in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, and Chhattisgarh. Today, it operates seven production units.
In Chhattisgarh alone, the company has a capacity of five lakh cases per month, or six million cases annually. In the Northeast, Simba already sells close to one million cases and has added another 1.5 million cases of capacity in the region.
Overall, Simba has been growing at an annual rate of around 28–29 per cent in case volumes. This year, it sold approximately 3.7–3.8 million cases. With the addition of four new states, the company expects to add at least one million more cases in the next financial year.
Beyond beer, Simba is also scaling up its broader alcobev portfolio. Its flavoured beverage brand ZigZag has entered Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Goa, selling about 3,000 cases per month in Delhi alone.
The company plans to launch three new ZigZag variants inspired by nostalgic flavours, while also pushing deeper into spirits. This year, Simba will introduce vodka in larger markets such as Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
“We’re expecting nearly 100 per cent year-on-year growth in vodka, mainly because there’s still a lot of untapped potential in the category,” Bhatia said.
Looking ahead, Simba is targeting around 35 per cent revenue growth this year, with growth expected to moderate to 28–30 per cent next year. In volume terms, the company is aiming for 22–25 per cent growth.
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