Som DistilleriesBrew

Som Distilleries and Breweries received manufacturing licences for its Bhopal plant from the Madhya Pradesh Excise Department. The company also secured approvals for product labels and applicable rates, which it described as prerequisites for manufacturing and sales, and said it hoped to resume operations by early next week. The licences follow a Supreme Court order on 30 October that reaffirmed a Madhya Pradesh High Court direction to renew the plant's licences. The Bhopal unit, with capacity of about 15.2 million beer cases and 0.6 million IMFL cases, had been shut since February after the state excise commissioner suspended its licences. Gross revenue was Rs.2,306 crore in the year to March, with net income of Rs.1,233 crore, as volumes fell to 202.2 lakh cases.

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Som Distilleries and Breweries secured reaffirmation from the Supreme Court of India on 30 October 2026 of the High Court order directing renewal of its various manufacturing licences. The order enabled resumption of operations at its Bhopal plant and sales from Madhya Pradesh. The Bhopal plant had annual capacity of 15.2 million beer cases and 0.6 million IMFL cases and had been shut since licences were suspended on 4 February 2026. The Madhya Pradesh High Court had on 24 September 2026 quashed the 18 June 2026 rejection order and directed renewal of all manufacturing licences within 15 days. Madhya Pradesh accounted for about 43% of the company's market exposure, and consolidated volumes fell 48% year on year to 45.79 lakh cases in the June quarter with income down about 49% to Rs268.8 crore.

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** Alcoholic beverages maker Som Distilleries SDB.NS shares jump as much as 12.69% to 83.8 rupees apiece, a three-month high; SDB last up 6.3%

** Rise after Madhya Pradesh High Court quashes the June 18 order rejecting renewal of Som Distilleries' excise licences and directed renewal of all manufacturing licences within 15 days

** Ruling enables the company to resume operations at its Bhopal plant, restoring its ability to generate sales in Madhya Pradesh

** SDB says the licence renewals should help normalise operations and have a positive impact on its financial position

** Says the court also preserves the right of the company to seek damages for closure-related losses

** SDB shares down 26.5% in 2026 so far, according to exchange data

(Reporting by Bharath Rajeswaran in Bengaluru)

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Som Distilleries and Breweries received a judgment dated 24 September 2026 from the Madhya Pradesh High Court quashing the 18 June 2026 order that had rejected its excise licence renewal applications. The court directed renewal of all manufacturing licences under the Madhya Pradesh Excise Act within 15 days, awarded costs of Rs 1 lakh payable by the state government and preserved the company's right to pursue damages for the closure period before an appropriate forum. The Bhopal facility, with capacity of 15.2 million beer cases and 0.6 million IMFL cases, had been shut since the licence suspension in February 2026. Madhya Pradesh accounted for about 43% of market exposure, and consolidated volumes fell 48% year on year to 45.79 lakh cases in the June quarter. Gross revenue was Rs 2,306 crore in FY26 with net income of Rs 1,233 crore, while the 10 million-case Uttar Pradesh brewery was commissioned in the June quarter.

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Som Distilleries and Breweries scheduled a board meeting for September 5, 2026, to consider and evaluate issuing convertible equity warrants or shares on a preferential basis to promoters, the promoter group and other investors. The proposed issue was subject to shareholder and other regulatory or government approvals. The company closed its trading window on September 1 until 48 business hours after the board meeting. The company's consolidated revenue was ₹1,233 crore in FY26, while gross debt-to-equity stood at 0.31x in the June quarter.

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Som Distilleries scheduled a board meeting for 5 September 2026 to consider issuing convertible equity warrants or shares on a preferential basis to promoters, the promoter group and other investors, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals. The proposed issue's size, pricing, proceeds and potential dilution were not disclosed. The board would also set the arrangements for the company's 33rd annual general meeting and approve its FY26 annual report. The company reported FY26 consolidated revenue of ₹1,233 crore, while the Bhopal licence suspension weakened Q1 FY27 operations and was cited in a recent downgrade of its bank-facility ratings to BB+/Stable and A4+.

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Infomerics Ratings cut the long-term bank-facility ratings of Som Distilleries and Breweries and its subsidiary, Woodpecker Distilleries and Breweries Private Limited, to BB+ with a stable outlook from BBB, and their short-term ratings to A4+ from A3+. The agency attributed the revisions primarily to the temporary suspension of the company's manufacturing licence by the Excise Department. The Bhopal manufacturing licence had been suspended since February 2026. The disruption was estimated to have reduced first-quarter revenue by ₹250-260 crore and incurred quarterly idle costs of ₹6-7 crore. Consolidated revenue for FY26 was ₹1,233 crore, while Q1 FY27 total income was ₹268.8 crore.

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Som Distilleries and Breweries said the Madhya Pradesh Excise Department has rejected its application for a new excise license for the Bhopal plant for FY2026-27. The company, which had been operating under a temporary license suspension since early 2026, argued that its submissions and supporting court orders were not given due consideration during the rejection process. Management said it is pursuing all available legal remedies and engaging with stakeholders to mitigate the impact on business operations. The Bhopal facility is a core production unit for Som Distilleries, and its ongoing closure has already forced a sharp drop in revenue and prompted credit rating downgrades by multiple agencies. The rejection casts further doubt on when the plant might resume production and the company's ability to meet its FY27 revenue guidance of Rs. 1,400-1,500 crore.

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June 19 (Reuters) - Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd SDB.NS:

• SOM DISTILLERIES AND BREWERIES - EXCISE LICENSE APPLICATION FOR BHOPAL PLANT FY 2026-27 REJECTED

Source text: ID:nNSE7GvSX8

Further company coverage: SDB.NS

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Som Distilleries and Breweries announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Woodpecker Green Agri Nutrients Private Limited, has commenced commercial production at its brewery facility in Uttar Pradesh with effect from June 10, 2026. The milestone follows earlier trial production disclosed in the company's FY26 earnings presentation and is expected to strengthen the group's manufacturing capabilities and supply chain efficiencies in the northern region. The new brewery is part of a ₹600 crore greenfield expansion project and is anticipated to contribute positively to the company's long-term growth plans.

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June 11 (Reuters) - Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd SDB.NS:

• WOODPECKER GREEN AGRI BEGINS COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION AT UTTAR PRADESH BREWERY

Source text: ID:nNSE4YdQlF

Further company coverage: SDB.NS

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** Shares of Som Distilleries and Breweries SDB.NS fall 8.5% to 88.3 rupees, their biggest intraday pct drop since March 2024

** The beer maker posts ~75% Y/Y fall in third-quarter consol profit, pressured by lower sales; rev down 14%

** Over 1.3 million shares traded, over 2.3x the 30-day avg

** Stock down 17.5%, YTD

(Reporting by Aleef Jahan in Bengaluru)

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Feb 10 (Reuters) - Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd SDB.NS:

• SOM DISTILLERIES AND BREWERIES DEC-QUARTER CONSOL PROFIT 54.8 MILLION RUPEES

• SOM DISTILLERIES AND BREWERIES LTD DEC-QUARTER CONSOL REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS 4.83 BILLION RUPEES

Source text: ID:nBSEPhDmL

Further company coverage: SDB.NS

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Aug 11 (Reuters) - Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd SDB.NS:

• SOM DISTILLERIES AND BREWERIES JUNE-QUARTER CONSOL PROFIT 420.6 MILLION RUPEES

• SOM DISTILLERIES AND BREWERIES JUNE-QUARTER CONSOL REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS 8.85 BILLION RUPEES

Source text: [ID:]

Further company coverage: SDB.NS

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May 20 (Reuters) - Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd SDB.NS:

• BHOPAL PLANT DISPATCHES UP BY OVER 32% Y/Y IN APRIL

Source text: ID:nNSE68k1Bm

Further company coverage: SDB.NS

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Feb 28 (Reuters) - Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd SDB.NS:

• APPROVED RAISING OF FUNDS THROUGH ISSUE OF EQUITY SHARES

• APPROVES ISSUE OF 2 MLN SHARES AT 112 RUPEES EACH

Further company coverage: SDB.NS

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Nov 14 (Reuters) - Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd SDB.NS:

• SOM DISTILLERIES AND BREWERIES SEPT-QUARTER CONSOL PROFIT 187 MILLION RUPEES

• SOM DISTILLERIES AND BREWERIES SEPT-QUARTER CONSOL REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS 5.73 BILLION RUPEES

Further company coverage: SDB.NS

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July 26 (Reuters) - Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd SDB.NS:

• SOM DISTILLERIES AND BREWERIES - PROPOSED CAPACITY ADDITION OF 4 MILLION CASES IN UNIT

Source text for Eikon: [ID:]

Further company coverage: SDB.NS

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By Jatindra Dash and Arpan Chaturvedi

NEW DELHI, July 2 (Reuters) - An Indian state government's inspection of a Som Group distillery said child labourers, some aged between 13 and 17, were made to fill and pack liquor bottles and worked long hours.

Police are investigating the use of child labour at the distillery in Madhya Pradesh state after the federal government's National Commission for Protection of Child Rights said last month it had found 58 children working illegally at the factory.

The commission released photos of some with hands showing chemical burns and said some children were transported in school buses for factory work.

A day after the children were found on June 15, an inspection report was drafted by the state's industrial health and safety department based on interviews with 27 workers, the youngest among them being 13 years old. The state says those aged under 21 cannot work in a liquor factory.

The report, which is not public but was seen by Reuters, says children were working 11-hour shifts starting at 8 a.m.

Som and the Madhya Pradesh government did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

In a submission to the state government on June 18, also seen by Reuters, Som said some children would visit the company to deliver food and medicines to their parents, and no worker was younger than 21.

Som is one of the smaller distilleries in India's thriving alcohol industry, where both foreign and domestic players operate. Its website describes it as an "internationally acclaimed brand" available in more than 20 markets including the United States, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

The incident has drawn attention to child labour in Indian supply chains. In 2021, Reuters reported an external audit of two Carlsberg warehouses found underage labourers at a location in the eastern state of Jharkhand. Carlsberg at the time said it had terminated the services of the third-party provider.

In the Som inspection report, the state government said the children working there were not given training on how they could protect themselves from harmful chemicals.

"Since it is hazardous work, there should have been a health centre at the factory," the report said.

The Madhya Pradesh government temporarily suspended the Som distillery's manufacturing licences, but the company has challenged the decision, saying there has been no conclusive finding of wrongdoing.

After Som's challenge, a local court put the state's decision on hold and said it would next hear the case later this month.

In a statement to the stock exchange last month, Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd SDB.NS said the Madhya Pradesh plant was run by its "associate private limited company" and used labour supplied by contractors who may not have carried out proper age checks. The listed company's shares have fallen by 8% since the children were found at the factory.

(Reporting by Jatinda Dash and Arpan Chaturvedi; Editing by Aditya Kalra and Jamie Freed)

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By Jatindra Dash and Arpan Chaturvedi

BHUBANESWAR, June 27 (Reuters) - Indian liquor company Som Group has asked a state court to quash a government decision to temporarily suspend manufacturing licenses of one of its distilleries where a federal agency found 59 children working illegally, a court filing showed.

Police, who have been investigating the Som distillery in Raisen district in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, locked its premises after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights this month found 39 boys and 20 girls working at the factory.

The agency also released photos of children's hands it said showed burns due to contact with chemicals, and said some of the children were transported to the factory in school buses.

In a 169-page court filing in the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, Som argued the licenses were wrongly suspended as the investigation into the allegations of child labour were still ongoing.

"There is no conclusion to the effect as to whether in reality any child was employed or not," Som Distilleries Pvt Ltd said in a court filing, which is not public but was reviewed by Reuters.

Som did not respond to a request for comment, and neither did the Madhya Pradesh state government. The case was heard on Thursday but no order was passed.

In the previous statement, Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd SDB.NS said the issue was related to a plant run by its associate company, which used labour supplied by contractors who may not have carried out proper age checks.

The firm's stock has fallen 9.3% since the human rights agency visited the distillery on June 15.

(Reporting by Jatindra Dash in Bhubaneswar, Arpan Chaturvedi and Tanvi Mehta; Editing by Aditya Kalra and Paul Simao)

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** Shares of India's Som Distilleries and Breweries SDB.NS off ~1% on the day and have tumbled 10.4% so far this week

** Stock set for their worst week since late Dec 2022

** A report that Som employed child labour at a distillery sparked police probe and authority threat to impound plant

** Beer and spirits maker SDB says plant is run by associate pvt firm; adds no govt dept has taken action on the company

** Rampur single malt maker Radico Khaitan's RADC.NS nearly 5% jump this week is the most among Som's rivals

** Kingfisher beer maker United Breweries UBBW.NS has fallen 1.2% this week

** Johnnie Walker whiskey maker United Spirits UNSP.NS is little unchanged

(Reporting by Hritam Mukherjee in Bengaluru)

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By Indranil Sarkar and Arpan Chaturvedi

BENGALURU, June 20 (Reuters) - Shares of Indian liquor firm Som Distilleries and Breweries SDB.NS fell as much as 9% on Thursday after authorities said they would impound one of the group's distilleries, where officials said 59 children had been working illegally.

Police launched an investigation into Som after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) last week found 39 boys and 20 girls working at a distillery in Madhya Pradesh state. The agency also released photos of children's hands with chemical burns.

Som shares fell nearly 9% on Thursday, taking weekly losses to 15%, before recovering. The company is valued at $271 million, according to LSEG data.

Som said in an exchange filing this week the issue was related to a plant run by its "associate private limited company", which used labour supplied by contractors, who may not have carried out proper age checks.

Some of the children found working at the distillery were taken to the factory in school buses, NCPCR has said.

"On the basis of the interaction with the children, there is an apprehension that the minors found working in the said distilleries may have been brought to the premises in the guise of taking children to school or to play," NCPCR said in a June 19 letter to state officials, seen by Reuters.

The state government has temporarily suspended the plant's manufacturing licences.

The company in its 2022 annual report stated its policy and practices relating to protection of human rights, including not using child labour, applies to the company and its units, "as well as to the contractors engaged by the company".

In its latest 2023 annual report, Som also flagged zero cases of child labour complaints filed by employees and workers.

Som sells beer and whisky in India's thriving alcohol industry, where both foreign and domestic players operate. Its website describes it as an "internationally acclaimed brand" available in over 20 markets including the United States, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

(Editing by Aditya Kalra)

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Recasts with suspension of licences, police action

By Arpan Chaturvedi and Tanvi Mehta

NEW DELHI, June 19 (Reuters) - Indian authorities said on Wednesday they were impounding a Som Group distillery and temporarily suspending the plant's manufacturing licences after the federal child rights agency found 59 children working at the site illegally.

Police launched an investigation into Som after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) last week found 39 boys and 20 girls working at the factory. The agency also released photos of children's hands it said showed burns due to contact with chemicals.

"We have sent the police force to ensure there are no issues during the sealing process," Vikas Kumar Shahwal, a senior Madhya Pradesh police official, told Reuters.

The state government said in a separate order it was temporarily suspending the plant's manufacturing licences and had asked the labour department to investigate the matter.

Som did not respond to a request for comment.

In a statement to the stock exchange earlier this week, Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd SDB.NS said the issue was related to a plant run by its "associate private limited company" which used labour supplied by contractors, who may not have carried out proper age checks.

Their services have been terminated, Som said, adding it was cooperating with the authorities. The company's shares have fallen 7% this week.

Some of the children found working at the distillery were transported to the factory in school buses, NCPCR Chief Priyank Kanoongo told Reuters on Wednesday.

"They were enrolled in a school and would come in school buses. So people thought they were going to the school, but they worked in the liquor factory," Kanoongo said.

Som is one of the smaller distilleries in India's thriving alcohol industry, where both foreign and domestic players operate. Its website describes it as an "internationally acclaimed brand" available in over 20 markets including the United States, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Child labour is a concern in India. In 2021, Reuters reported that an external audit of two Carlsberg warehouses had found underage labourers at a location in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand.

Carlsberg at the time said "the third-party provider was terminated immediately in 2018 following the findings in the internal report."

(Reporting by Arpan Chaturvedi; Additional reproting Jatindra Dash and Indranil Sarkar; Editing by Aditya Kalra, Miral Fahmy and Mark Potter)

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** India's Som Distillaries SDB.NS tumbles 15% to 105 rupees, lowest since March 28

** Stock posts biggest intraday pct fall since Nov 2018

** Indian police launches investigation after government's child rights agency found children working at a distillery

** Co says its associate that ran the plant used labour supplied by contractors who may not have carried out proper age verification

** Stock last down 12.3%, erasing YTD gains and is now down 4.6% so far this year

(Reporting by Sethuraman NR in Bengaluru)

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NEW DELHI, June 17 (Reuters) - Police said on Monday they had launched an investigation into India's Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd SDB.NS after the government's child rights agency announced it had found children working at a distillery.

A case under juvenile justice and bonded labour laws was filed on Sunday, one police officer said, a day after the National Commission for Protection Of Child Rights (NCPCR) said it had found more than 50 children in the plant.

Som, which makes Hunter and Woodpecker beer, did not respond to calls requesting comment on Monday, a public holiday. There was also no response to calls to Som Group CEO Deepak Arora.

The NCPCR, a federal government agency, said it had inspected the site in Raisen district in the central state of Madhya Pradesh after a complaint from child rights activists.

"More than 50 children were found working in the manufacture of liquor, including 20 girls," NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo wrote on X on Saturday.

"Due to being in contact with chemicals, the skin of many children's hands has also been burnt. Action is being taken to rescue the children and register" a police complaint, he added.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the case was "very serious" and "strictest action will be taken against the culprits".

District labour officer G.S. Mehdele said the ages of 59 workers was being verified to determine if they were under-age.

The Raisen operation is Som's largest plant in India with distillation, storage and maturation facilities, according to the company's website.

(Reporting by Tanvi Mehta and Jatindra Dash in Bhubaneswar; Editing by YP Rajesh and Andrew Heavens)

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** Shares of IFB Agro Industries IFBA.NS down 2.8% at 428 rupees

** Alcohol maker swings to Q4 loss from year-ago profit

** Rival Som Distilleries SDB.NS posted higher Q4 profit

** IFBA down ~13% YTD after two straight yearly declines

** SDB up ~12% YTD after three straight yearly gains

(Reporting by Varun Vyas in Bengaluru)

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May 27 (Reuters) - Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd SDB.NS:

• RECEIVED OFFICIAL PERMISSION FROM STATE OF TELANGANA TO SUPPLY BEER BRANDS

Source text for Eikon: ID:nBSE3sF9RJ

Further company coverage: SDB.NS

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April 25 (Reuters) - Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd SDB.NS:

• MARCH-QUARTER CONSOL PROFIT 199.9 MILLION RUPEES VERSUS PROFIT 158.7 MILLION RUPEES

• MARCH-QUARTER CONSOL TOTAL INCOME 7.42 BILLION RUPEES VERSUS 4.83 BILLION RUPEES

Further company coverage: SDB.NS

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** Shares of Som Distilleries And Breweries SDB.NS rise as much as 4.3% to 311 rupees; last up 3.3%

** Liquor maker says it has commissioned new wraparound packaging equipment at its Bhopal canning facility

** New equipment streamlines production processes and expected to raise operational efficiency by about 25%, co adds

** Stock is up 8% YTD, outperforming peers United Spirits UNSP.NS and United Breweries UBBW.NS, which have gained between 3.1%-3.9%

(Reporting by Navamya Ganesh Acharya in Bengaluru)

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** Shares of Som Distilleries and Breweries SDB.NS rise as much as 4.5% to 321 rupees, highest since November 7, 2023

** SDB marks sharpest intraday pct climb since August 31, 2023

** The brewer said it started commercial production with an increased capacity at its plant in Karnataka state on April 8

** Plant's capacity now stands at 140 lakh cases of beer per annum from 90 lakhs earlier

** More than 1 mln shares change hands, ~2x the 30-day avg

** Stock last up 2.8%; fell in six months through March

(Reporting by Anisha Ajith in Bengaluru)

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