Vijay Mallya, the flamboyant chairman of both USL and its parent United Breweries (holding) Ltd, says the Chinese market was a top priority. "We will offer a complete range of alcohols of different flavours," Mallya was quoted as saying by China Daily.

Among the brands for USL''s initial entry in to the Chinese market is the Bagpiper Deluxe Whisky. USL markets more than 140 brands, of which 15 have annual sales of over 1 million cases, the report said.

Mallya said he was optimistic about the Chinese market as "the taste of Chinese people and Indian people are very similar. Our products will be enjoyed, especially the first five products we are going to launch.

"We are looking forward to successful business in China. We will start in Shanghai and then extend to other parts of the country," he said.

Announcing plans for local bottling operations in China, Mallaya said, "I don''t think any other international companies have offered to bottle their products locally," he said.

"When you go to a market as important as China, you have to prepare to do whatever it takes... And USL is in China for the long-term," he said.

Mallya said major manufacturers in the spirits business are stocking their products because they expect high demand from China and India.