BMI forecast that the alcoholic drink sales in Vietnam will increase by 50.6 percent from now to 2013 with the revenue expected to increase by 16 percent a year.

BMI is a wholly independent, London-based company, specialized in the analysis of global emerging markets since its foundation in 1984.

According to its report, consumption of beer made up 98 percent of alcoholic drinks sales in 2008 and the figure is predicted to rise 50.7 percent this year and soft drink is expected to go up by 37 percent.

BMI said many foreign beverage companies are seeking to penetrate Vietnam or raise their market share there.

For instance, Denmark’s Carlsberg has announced its plan to acquire 50 percent of stake in central Vietnam’s Hue Brewery Company after it increased its stake at the Hanoi Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Company (Habeco) from 16.07 percent to 30 percent. Meanwhile, the Coca-Cola plans to invest about US$200 million in Vietnam in the next three years.

Crown Holdings Inc. of the US, the world’s third largest metal packaging producer, also plans to inject US$25 million into a production line of cans for soft drinks in the southern province of Dong Nai. Additionally, PepsiCo, Diageo, San Miguel, SABMiller, S&N, Heineken, Budweiser, Kronenbourg and Bitburger have strengthened their market shares by investing in new technology and production lines.