United Spirits (USL), which is majority-owned by global drinks behemoth Diageo, is reportedly planning to exit direct operations (sales, marketing, and manufacturing) from key markets of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. This move follows the company's exit from Tamil Nadu late last year, indicates its new owner's (Diageo) concerns about not violating the anti-graft laws in the US and UK.
Diageo is bound by the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in the US and the UK Bribery Act, which United Spirits is now party to. United Spirits has 21 brands in its portfolio that sell more than a million cases each year or millionaire brands, of which five brands sell more than 10 million cases each annually.
