Indian Single Malts Out Sale Foreign Brands In 2023 For The First Time
According to an early estimate by industry body Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC), Indian single malt whisky brands have outsold the foreign single malt whisky brands for the first time in 2023 in India, with the former having reached a total sale of around 6,75,000 cases (of nine litres each), with 3,45,000 cases being retailed by Indian-origin makers and the remaining 3,30,000 being sold by Scottish and others.
The estimates suggest that in a milestone scenario, the local brands will have grown by around 23% in 2023, while the imported ones will have increased by a more conservative 11%, the Times of India reported, quoting Vinod Giri, director-general of CIABC.
“It”s not every day that such a feat is achieved. From being mocked around till just a decade and a-half ago, Indian whisky makers have come a long way, as they are now second to none in terms of quality and refinement,” says Thrivikram Nikam, joint MD of Amrut Distilleries, told TOI.
In the wake of the increased demand for homegrown brands, Diageo and Pernod Ricard, which source their single malts mainly from Scotland, introduced the Godawan and Longitude 77 respectively, in 2022, suggesting that, being a fast-growing market, the younger Indian audience is favoring niche products giving weight to newness, Kartik Mohindra, chief marketing officer at Pernod India, told the TOI.
According to Paul P John, chairman of John Distilleries, which makes its single malts in Goa, the foreign brands are “panicking now” as they were napping while the Indian companies are gaining a significant portion of the market share. “They were caught napping and are now trying to catch up. Unfortunately, they are taking short cuts and are producing stuff here that they don”t understand. India has arrived,” he said.
According to Prem Diwan, chairman and MD of Devans Modern Breweries, which distils its whiskies in Jammu, the quality of Indian single malts is absolutely fantastic, which is one of the main reasons fueling their demand while Scottish makers still depend on very traditional processes. Indian makers love to experiment.
