Mumbai, March 28 - The chairman of United Breweries, India's biggest beer maker, said he would be keen to buy the 37.5 percent stake Heineken will soon own in the firm, the Economic Times said on Friday.
"If you ask me whether I would buy them back, my answer is at today's price, sure I am a buyer," the paper quoted Vijay Mallya as saying. Mallya is also chairman of the UB Group, which owns 37.5 percent of United Breweries, the maker of Kingfisher beer.
Amsterdam-based brewer Heineken will get the stake in United Breweries from Scottish & Newcastle, which it and Denmark's Carlsberg agreed to buy in January. The deal is yet to be completed.
"Heineken looks forward to a potential co-operation with Mr Mallya and we are in discussions with him and our partner in Asia. It is however, too early to say more," the paper quoted a Heineken spokesperson as saying in an emailed statement.
The paper valued the stake at 14.25 billion rupees ($355 million), based on current market prices.
United Breweries shares closed at 176.05 on Thursday, more than 50 percent below its 2008 high of 385 rupees.