Mumbai: Danish brewer Carlsberg, which started operation of its brewery in Himachal Pradesh and launched its beer brand in New Delhi, said it is looking at acquisitions and joint ventures to drive sales in Asia.

Carlsberg''s brewery in Himachal Pradesh has an annual capacity of 150,000 hectolitres. By early next year, it plans to start two more greenfield units, one in Rajasthan and another in Maharashtra, each with 500,000 hectolitres annual capacity.

"Yes, we are going to grow in Asia organically and by acquiring," said chief financial officer Jorn Jensen.

"We are constantly looking at our options for acquisitions, joint ventures," he said.

Media reports had earlier said Carlsberg''s South Asia Breweries unit is planning to buy a stake in Kolkata-based Parag Breweries as well as its holding entity, Agnes Impex, and the two would subsequently be merged.

Carlsberg said it expected annual beer consumption in India to grow by more than 140 per cent by 2010. Per capita consumption in India would grow to five to six litres a year over the next few years from current levels of about a litre, the company said.

Jesper Madsen, senior vice president of Carlsberg Asia, said he expected beer consumption in Asia to grow to 571 million hectolitres by 2010 from 466 million.

"We believe growth in the future will come from Asia," he said.

The company has 26 breweries in the region, six of which are in China. Madsen expects India to become the second-largest beer market in Asia overtaking Japan by 2020.

Meanwhile, reports said Carlsberg is likely to invest in football in India following a growing interest in the game in the country after the national team''s triumph in the Nehru Cup.

"Carlsberg always have an association with sports - specially football. It won''t be any different in India as we have noticed there is a considerable amount of interest in football," Madsen told reporters during the launch of the beer.

Carlsberg is the sponsor of the European champions Liverpool Football Club and also of the English football team. The beer company is also one of the partners of the Football Association, the governing body of the sport in England.